Kevin MORBY

Little Wide Open

Dead Oceans US

Master of American folk/country Kevin Morby's talent has been bubbling under for some time now, but with his tenth album Little Wide Open, all that hard work finally feels ready to bloom. Over the years, Morby has been somewhat transient, and Little Wide Open chronicles his travels and, more importantly, his headspace. Naturally, it's a lonely existence at times, but also a rewarding one, and that's the conflict that sits at the heart of the album. At times it's introspective, but at others, it's full of determination: "this is just me, trying to grow wings" he sings on elegant closing track 'Field Guide For The Butterflies'. There seems to be a constant war raging in his head, which is neatly summed up by the landscapes he passes through. On 'Natural Disaster' he equates the inevitability of acts of God with constantly shifting mental health and personal relationships. There's a resignation to it, where wellness and medication only offer a temporary fix, where love may or may not be wanted. That's life, and it can be hard, but you have to accept it. If there's a message to the album, it's this. On 'Badlands' he finds himself in familiar territory. Bruce Springsteen was hanging out here on Darkness on the Edge of Town, and of course, Terrence Malick's 1973 Charles Starkweather film Badlands managed to make expansive landscapes feel horrifically claustrophobic. Morby's open chords, laidback approach and poetic descriptions offer the space, but this pushes up against the inevitability of death and relentless loneliness. Aided and abetted by producer Aaron Dessner, and with contributions from Bon Iver and Lucinda Williams, Morby certainly isn't alone. With their help, he's produced the finest album of his career so far.