Description

Morning River Band’s “Brambles” is an album rife with juxtaposition. Beautiful, bright guitar melodies holding together morose musings on relationships, alcoholism, religion, and death. Blunt lyricism bound to be misinterpreted. Vocals so pure, clear, vulnerable, and yet strained so that it seems as though they could fall apart at any second.

This is by no means a happy album. While this may be the cleanest, most ‘modern’ sounding release from the band to date, the spirit on display is firmly that of the traditional roots of country. The ‘blues in another suit’. If you’ve ever complained about the vocalist of a band killing himself off in a narrative only once on an album, this River is the cure.

Brambles are an interesting growth. They can bear flowers and fruit, but many consider them weeds due to their growth in neglected areas and sharp thorns. Whether brambles are worth eradicating or cultivating is all up to perspective.