Up until last year, the majority of the public had never heard of Maren Morris. She seems to have just suddenly burst onto the country music scene with her debut EP. There was a LOT of buzz around the new artist, from industry peers and critics alike, boasting that she was the next big thing in country music and on and on about how truly amazing she was. All the positive buzz is actually what led me to listen to her EP.
Alas, it seems that we’ve all been duped. I hate to do this, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to burst a few bubbles. First off, Maren Morris isn’t a country artist, at least not according to her debut EP. Second, the self-titled EP only has one song that falls into the semi-country category, the rest are pure, unadulterated pop songs. Third, she will definitely not be the next legend in country music, unless her music changes drastically. Honestly, this EP wouldn’t be as big of a disappointment as it is if it weren’t for the fact that there was a huge buzz about it, building it up.Maren Morris appears to be the female version of Sam Hunt, only probably a bit more crass (music wise). I’m sure the Texas native is a great person and she seems to have vocal talent, it’s just that her song/production choices get in the way of her being a really great COUNTRY artist. She’d actually be a good pop artist, and if she were in fact marketed as pop, I’d be a little more on-board with her music. If you dig back through her credentials, you wouldn’t be at all surprised at the fact that her songs are very pop sounding, considering she has songwriting credits on pop albums, including Kelly Clarkson’s Piece By Piece.
I really can’t stress the fact that this EP is very bubblegum pop enough. I recently read a tweet by a notable music journalist claiming that Morris’ “80’s Mercedes” will definitely be the Summer Country Song of 2016. That tweet disappointed me on several levels. One, the song is better suited to be the Summer POP song of 2016. Two, the track is fluffy, weak, and contains very little substance, not exactly a contender for “Song of” anything. “80’s Mercedes” finds the narrator repeating over and over that she’s a “90’s baby in my 80’s Mercedes”, and basically celebrating being young and beautiful. It’s not that the song is bad, just a bit boring, teeny-bopper for twenty-somethings. But then again, you could say that about the EP as a whole.
“Drunk Girls Don’t Cry” and “Company You Keep” actually have very similar melodies…. like REALLY similar. Both songs feature a beach-y, watered down reggae sound. The majority of the songs feature a speak-sing style, much like Sam Hunt, only Hunt pulls it off better (give me a minute… I almost choked on those words). “Drunk Girls Don’t Cry” finds the narrator talking to a girl who’s with a no-good guy, who seems to keep screwing up, yet she still stays with him. Morris exclaims, “Every time that you tell me/ that deep down he’s a really good guy/ that’s like saying drunk girls don’t cry/ girl you must be out of your damn mind” and goes on to tell the girl exactly what’s on her mind, inserting cuss words and all. I can’t help but to think that this song sounds like something Sam Hunt would record… And that’s not a compliment. Like I said before, “Company You Keep” has a very similar sound to the track I mentioned above. This track finds Maren singing about how it doesn’t matter where you are, it’s all about the company you keep. Both tracks are pop/R&B, fluffy, and lackluster.
Let’s get to the best, standout, countriest sounding track on the record. “My Church” saves this EP from utter disaster. It’s pure mainstream country, but the real saving grace is the lyrical content. The track finds Maren claiming that country radio is her church, it’s where she find redemption and holy communion. The song opens with “I’ve cussed on a Sunday/ I’ve cheated and I’ve lied/ I’ve fallen down from Grace a few too many times/ But I find Holy redemption when I put this car in drive/ roll the windows down and turn up the dial” and then moves into the chorus, “Can I get a Hallelujah, can I get an amen/ feels like the Holy Ghost runnin’ through ya/ when I play the Highway FM/ I find my soul revival singing every single verse/ Yeah I guess that’s my church.”
She follows it up with clever, reverent verses like, “ When Hank brings the sermon and Cash leads the choir/ It gets my cold, cold heart burning hotter than a ring of fire/ when this wonderful world gets heavy/ and I need to find my escape/ I just keep the wheels rolling, radio scrolling/ ‘til my sins wash away”. The song packs a punch. It features production that complements the song, and Maren’s smooth vocals are on point. It’s definitely the one and only standout on an otherwise fluffy record.
My recommendation? Buy the single, “My Church”, and forego purchasing the record, it’s just not worth the money and you won’t be missing anything.
Originally posted here.
