By Travis Erwin
John Moreland's latest offering, LP5, delivers
the same acoustic sensibilities we have come to expect, while showcasing his
notable evolution as an artist and as a human. The end product for the listener
is honest, thought-provoking songwriting, delivered with authentic emotion.
The album opens with tender guitar notes pulling you
into the single “Harder
Dreams,” though Moreland’s poignant lyrics soon take over. And while it is
hard not to get lost in the calm tones of his voice, the songwriting is what
truly elevates both this track, and the entire album. The lines … Are
you lonely in your convictions, staring through the glass tonight? Is the
truth a work of fiction, better ask the blood-stained skies … stuck out for
me, but the emotional imagery within this opening song is gripping. This opening
track foretells what’s to come, in terms of quality of sound, songwriting
prowess, and in the teasing the overriding theme.
With a bit more of a bluesy funk, “A Thought is Just a
Passing Train” offers a different vocal style than the rest of the album. At
nearly five and half minutes long, this second track has a jam groove that sort
of relaxes your senses and allows you to close your eyes and settle in for the
long haul. But don’t dismiss the power of the lyrics, because we’ve all been
hit hard by an emotion, fear, or doubt, and this song is all about recognizing
the brevity of such gut punches.
“East
October” is the kind of track that subtly reveals itself. Painted with
broad strokes in places and refined thoughts in others, the track repeatedly
asks the question, … How Am I ever going to get by, all my myself? The
song left me thinking about a divorced man reflecting on the memorabilia of a
marriage gone bad. Though the fact it was written with a nod to Chris Porter’s
song, “East December,” makes it clear Moreland wrote it from more of a grieving
friend’s viewpoint. Porter passed away in 2016. That such a song can be
parlayed into broader emotion is more proof of Moreland’s talent for bringing
forth our humanity.
My personal favorite track on the album is “Learning
How to Tell Myself the Truth." The song delivers unrelenting truth. Coming
via a stream-of-consciousness style, the track brings out the nuances of
Moreland’s emotional vocals. This track is the musical equivalent of staring
into the mirror and talking to the person looking back.
“Two Stars” is a soft guitar instrumental that bridges
the gap over to “Terrestrial,” another track about overcoming the self-doubt
and uncertainty that washes over all of us at times. Discovering what is real
both within our own heads and the outside world around us is the prevailing
thought behind much of this well-written album.
Moreland again pays homage to his friend, Chris
Porter, with the track “In Between Times.” Written a mere two weeks after Porter’s
untimely passing, Moreland puts words to the kind of grief that often leaves
others speechless. The pain is palpable, and his voice is raw, over a
stripped-down melody.
Not known for love songs, Moreland proves he can take
on the most vulnerable of emotions with “When My Fever Breaks,” a track he
began writing, while first dating his wife. The song took him more than three
years to finish, but the result is a song that stays with you. It feels genuine
without resorting to being overly sentimental, simply for the sake of the
poetry.
“I Always Let You Burn Me to the Ground,” feels like a
goodbye, not in the literal sense, but in the admission of our own weaknesses,
so that we can finally let the ashes of our past blow away in the wind. “For
Ichiro” is another instrumental track that serves as an emotional reset. This
track has a digital vibe laid over keys and a guitar, making it feel slightly
out of place with the album, though it is tranquil and entertaining enough to
certainly have merit.
The album finishes with “Let Me Be Understood,” which
is fitting, because I imagine this is the internal plea of every songwriter,
when they release new material out into the world. But here, this track is
about growth and wisdom that comes to us on down the road, giving us a new
outlook over hindsight. Bluesy and folksy, the track brings forth many of Moreland’s
best sounds, both musically and vocally, and as always, the songwriting is
relatable and makes you ponder your place in this world.
Or perhaps more importantly, the song and the album
are meant to reinforce the fact we all have these complex thoughts and emotion
running through our heads. And the lasting message is that it's okay to
let them in, because we will emerge on the other side all the better for having
them. As a writer and fan of his work, I hope that is what Moreland wanted
understood, but no matter the intent, his new album, LP5 is definitely worth
your listen.
LP5 is available Friday everywhere you buy or stream
music.
----------
A native
Texan, Travis Erwin is an author and music reviewer now living in Southern
California. Find his novels and memoir, anywhere books are sold, or visit him
in the Twitterverse, via @traviserwin.