Dead Oceans US Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Former Woods bassist Kevin Morby might not always have been everyone's contender as singer-songwriter of the moment, yet this makes the modern-classic appeal of 'Singing Saw' all the more illuminating. Here, his Dylan-esque drawl (particularly recalling the sun-burnished hues of 'Nashville Skyline') makes its presence felt on a finely honed collection of Laurel Canyon-tinged serenades that run the gamut from the piano-led melancholia of 'Ferris Wheel' to the Replacements-esque rock of 'Dorothy', arriving at a sound that's subtly reflective and emotionally resonant in equal measure. Fans of Whiskeytown, Matthew Sweet and Kurt Vile alike, you need this album on your stereo.

Review: It may still be customary to kick off any discussion of Kevin Morby with his past in Woods, yet on the evidence of records as strong as 'City Music', it won't be for long. Such is the understated charm yet undeniable confidence of these ditties, which tackle his bittersweet relationship with the New York he now calls home, it doesn't seem a stretch to be talking about him in the same breath as heroes and fellow East Coasters Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed. No retro pastiche, nor classicist sermon, 'City Music' is the sound of a rare talent coming to fruition.

Review: Before we get to his solo career credentials, it's a good thing to know something of Kevin Morby's background first. The American singer-songwriter has counted himself as the bassist in the Brooklyn outfit Woods and was frontman of The Babies before that. This CD release of Oh My God delivers Morby a fifth solo studio album since his Harlem River debut in 2013 and the versatility of his styles and inspirations seem to be hitting a new high, given the sometimes bluesy substance of his lyrics. Often where Morby's voice hits a sweet spot, subtle humming attenuations caress his deeper notations, all coated in a slight smokey haze similar to Bob Dylan (of now) and the late Leonard Cohen. Throw this into a mix of light distortion, piano ballads and theatrical big band techniques, it's in Kevin Morby we trust.