The former Woods bassist comes into his own on his third solo LP, a captivating body of work inspired by the wilderness and death.
Kevin Morby/ Singing Saw
Kansas City native Kevin Morby is an artist shaped by places. Formerly the bassist for indie-folk outfit Woods and frontman of Brooklyn-based The Babies, his solo debut, 2013’s Harlem River, was an homage to New York City, where he spent the nascent years of his career. Morby’s sophomore solo album Still Life further highlighted his nomadic tendencies, with songs like The Jester, the Tramp and the Acrobat and Motors Runnin’ reflecting his surroundings after relocating to Los Angeles. His latest LP Singing Saw continues the same trajectory as he expands on his experience living in the small Los Angeles neighbourhood of Mount Washington. It’s an album largely inspired by lush nature and wildlife, filtered through the slightly weary eyes and husky drawl of the 28-year-old singer-songwriter.
Cut Me Down opens the set with the menacing buzz of a musical saw. “Birds will gather at my side/Tears will gather in my eyes/Throw my head and cry/As vultures circle in the sky,” he sings over plucked acoustic bass. Lead single I Have Been To The Mountain follows, offering a groovy shift that contrasts with its confronting subject matter: the death of Eric Garner, an African-American man choked by a New York police officer in 2014. Politically charged and emotionally compelling, the song contains one of the most powerful lines we’ve heard in recent memory: “That man lived in this town/’Til that pig took him down/And have you heard the sound/Of a man stop breathing, pleading?”
The seven-minute title track welcomes back the use of musical saw, provided here by John Andrews of Boston psych-rock outfit Quilt, whereas piano-driven second single Dorothy finds Morby singing an ode to a beloved guitar named after his grandmother. He then talks about his favourite instrument again on Drunk And On A Star (“Have you heard my guitar singing/As it rises from the earth/And the company it’s bringing/Is beautiful and nothing worse”). From this point onwards, it’s all about lush piano ballads (Ferris Wheel, Black Flowers, Water) — the latter revisiting the theme of death, this time his own.
Singing Saw brilliantly showcases Morby’s growth in terms of musical and songwriting abilities. This is an album that, while managing to be evocative of the place where its songs are written, takes the listener on an impressively varied and textured sonic journey. Not just your everyday itinerant, guitar-obsessed folk troubadour, he’s brought to the table a fully realised instrumentation that includes lush orchestral arrangements, gospel backing singers, trumpet, saxophone and saw. Combine all of those elements with Morby’s world-weary vocals and the result is a stunning work worthy of accolades and recognition.
THE PLAYLIST
World Not Bad/ Wan Wan
World Not Bad is Bangkok-based duo Kaewsai “Kaew” Putimahtama and Tanes “Jay” Gamontammagul. Not exactly up and comers, they have been releasing odd singles here and there since 2011. Their latest cut, Wan Wan (Happy-go-lucky), is an exuberant slice of DIY indie-pop that doubles as an anthem for the carefree underachievers among us. We especially love the raw, unpolished garage vibe here — something the duo has shown they’re pretty good at.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros/ No Love Like Yours
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are back to spreading good vibes with No Love Like Yours, the second cut taken from their fourth studio album, PersonA. The 10-piece folk-pop ensemble are extolling love and dedication in their typically rousing, commune-esque manner. “Don’t know the dictionaire/Don’t know what clothes to wear/I’m just in love with you, I don’t know love,” lead singer Alex Ebert croons in his warm and life-affirming tone. Watch this space for a full review of PersonA next week.
Utada Hikaru/ Hanataba Wo Kimi Ni
After taking some time off to focus on her domestic life (second marriage, first baby), the beloved queen of J-pop is back. Hanataba Wo Kimi Ni (A bouquet for you) is the theme song for NHK drama series Toto Neechan. “I’ll dedicate a bouquet of flowers for you/To you my dearest, my precious,” she sings over tender piano melodies sprinkled with light strumming guitar. Released alongside Manatsu No Tooriame (Midsummer shower), the song marks Hikaru’s first new release since 2012’s Evangelion 3.0 theme tune Sakura Nagashi.
Michael Kiwanuka/ Love & Hate
The sophomore LP by British singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka seems to be centred on juxtaposition and polarity. The follow-up to stirring lead single Black Man in a White World, Love & Hate is an eight-minute stripped-back jam that finds the soul crooner taking his time to build up a quiet tension before asking “Love and hate, how much more are we supposed to tolerate?” Joined by backup singers, he proceeds to assert: “You can’t take me down/You can’t break me down/You can’t take me down.” The highlight then arrives during the last three minutes where a guitar solo takes centre stage, giving the track an exhilarating finish.
Andy Shauf/ The Worst In You
We heard The Magician the other week and now the Canadian singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Andy Shauf follows up with The Worst In You. Taken from his new LP The Party, the track is a gorgeous acoustic guitar offering that brilliantly weaves together elements of baroque pop with indie folk. As far as the lyrics go, it’s about a guy who gets a tad paranoid about losing his girlfriend. “So I walked there to your door/Until I was almost halfway/I saw two closed doors, so I let my heart break/Are you running around or just running away?”
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.