Sarah Morris – Ordinary Things
URL: http://sarahmorrismusic.com/
Twin City native Sarah Morris cooks up a hot brew of folk, country and root diggin’ blues on her latest release Ordinary Things. Not only can Sarah sing and play, but writes all of the tunes. It’s great to hear a singer with her vocal talent be actively involved in every part of the process. Such a thing makes for most honesty in the lyrics and composition of the music in general. There’s just the right balance of edge and sweetness contained within the album’s ten tracks with Morris’ soothing singing a focal point throughout. She even proves herself as an accomplished belter whenever the guitars dip into electric textures.
Opener “Brighter” twinkles with acoustic star glow that slowly builds into a cool rhythmic cruise. Dashes of heartland Nashville country with plenty of energetic guitar twang and bustling drum flourishes keep it moving along at a nice clip. Morris’ vocal chords are creamy, drenched in honey and her voice cracks during some of the higher notes showcasing a beautifully human performance. She starts off like Tanya Tucker on the acapella intro of “No Memory” before the guitars kick up a driving bluesy dust storm of sweat n’ energy. Subtle keyboard touches groove alongside the galloping rhythms which put special emphasis on the tub-thumping beats. Washes of electric guitar only add more to the rich, textural tapestry of sound; coalescing into plucky leads that reach and attain some lofty plateaus of rural catchiness. The chorus in this one is instantly memorable and if this song wasn’t released as a single, it definitely should be in the future.
Super thick bass lines duel with a crying electric guitar in the early moments of “Sway Me.” Morris’ headstrong lead vocals are both sugary sweet and hickory smoked; gentle yet roughhewn in the same breath. She’s joined by some pleasant background harmonies here and everything winds, twists and slithers like a sidewinding snake through the streets of Dodge. Current radio country music has nothing on such an authentic take on the old school style. Sarah’s vocals reach a powerful point of propulsive, climbing resolution during the booming finale of “Nice Girl,” which coincidentally begins as an auburn shaded slice of balladry. Soon it rollicks into a dusky mid-tempo where the acoustic/electric trade-offs gets in a barroom brawl with dense, solidly planted bass licks and sizzling electric piano. Eventually the guitar riffs jettison the slower stuff for full-speed, careening rushes that sound like some barn-dancing bluegrass with rockabilly influence.
The suave, sultry downtempo of “You Still Have Me” capitalizes on the ballad promise initially made by “Nice Girl.” This is a showcase for Sarah’s softer croons and her backing band’s ability to make minimalism speak volumes. If “Nice Girl” was the soundtrack to a backroad throw down, this is a campfire jam meant to close out the evening for good. Mixing slide guitar and rock n’ roll arrangement with 90s pop country hooks, “Lie Here Tonight” is strong on the commercial, radio ready flair, but the songwriting and sweeping vocal hooks, as well as the steadfast instrumental backing, makes it a cut above most similar acts. “The Strong One” is half ballad and half pop country rocker with absolutely no crossing over between the styles. The two parts of the songs are very distinctive from one another, creating another winning number as a result. There’s a slight Pure Prairie League influence injected into the harmonies and trotting banjo of “Used To Be Mine” helping to lift it higher into the memorable. The closing duo of “Careful, Careful” and “Hope, Sweet Hope” blends tender country balladry with rock n’ roll escapism to great effect.
Ordinary Things does a lot right and very little wrong over the course of its 10 tracks. Every now and again you might hope for more of high energy hoedowns of “Nice Girl” and the album’s first half but Morris is heartfelt in the ballad settings as well. This album is convincing and catchy; a welcome return to a semblance of “real” country after the climate was ravaged by this modern country rap movement.
CD BABY: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sarahmorris
9 out of 10 stars.
William Elgin