Sometimes our dreams conflict with one another. For Lauren Watkins, her dream of a career in country music could run directly counter to her wish for a life of quiet domesticity, but on If I’m Being Honest the Nashville native shows how she managed to realize both. Produced by Will Bundy and Joey Moi, this third full-length from Watkins is clear-eyed in sound and subject, with her explorations of art, aging, and everything in between brought to life with traditional country instrumentation and an emphasis on melody that connects her back to the ’90s. Standout “Pulling Weeds” finds Watkins “trying to drink more water than tequila,” as she removes negativity from her life piece by piece like pulling crabgrass from a garden. Sonically, that tune lands somewhere between the crystalline simplicity of Golden Hour Kacey Musgraves and the winking pragmatism of Brandy Clark, with Watkins’ laidback drawl adding an everywoman feel to the mix. Other highlights include “Daydreams,” the lone solo write on the album and a sweet encapsulation of Watkins’ journey thus far, and “How’s Your Mama ’N Them,” a dusky tale of romantic regret that plays off a common Southern saying.