Although Kevin Morby now lives in Los Angeles, his time in the Midwest left a profound mark on him. Little Wide Open brings the trilogy chronicling this phase of his life to a close—following the yearning Sundowner, the nostalgic This Is A Photograph, and now, an album that essentially says: “It’s beautifully bleak here.”
Think of it as the “Badlands,” but sun-drenched. A wasteland blooming with flowers, where a gentle breeze sweeps away the smell of garbage. Morby wanders with open eyes through a landscape that pairs comfort with defiance. And he brought a whole army of like-minded souls along for the ride.
The National’s Aaron Dessner plays on and produces the record, alongside big names like Justin Vernon, Meg Duffy, and Amelia Meath. Harps and banjos accompany Morby’s signature, delightfully quirky folk. True to his style, the songs love to swell into grandeur after a delicate start.
“Natural Disaster”, for instance, only truly kicks into high gear after the five-minute mark, featuring a quite wonderful appearance by Lucinda Williams. “The Flow”: The tracks maintain a consistent, seamless flow throughout—no jarring outliers, no “1, 2, 3, 4” count-ins. Punk rock simply has no business in the Midwest.
Little Wide Open is undoubtedly Morby’s most well-rounded work to date. Everything locks into place perfectly, and the record practically invites your mind to escape into the distant horizon. Now, we eagerly await those glamorous L.A. sounds.
Kevin Morby – Little Wide Open: Beautifully well-rounded Folk Rock. – RIFL