Album Review – John Moreland’s “Big Bad Luv”
I don’t care for the name of this album. It’s like a bad tattoo, or a piece of grimey graffiti on an otherwise perfectly good wall on the upper crust side of town done by some dumbass white kid who thinks he’s a gang banger. Even after listening to the record, the title feels like an inside joke or something. And while we’re raising gripes, the cover of Big Bad Luv isn’t the greatest either. These Oklahoma boys love to pick the most random things for their artwork, don’t they? I still haven’t forgiven the Turnpike Troubadours for their Goodbye Normal Street cover. But what are you going to do.
Otherwise, give a pat on the back to John Moreland for releasing the best record of his career—and a record you could could call a “career record”—and the best songwriting effort you will hear probably in this calendar year, and possibly in prior and successive years as well. Maybe even longer.
Musical artists always want to be considered as evolving, unless they turn into a Greatest Hits machine because that’s where the money is. A lot of times though, it’s in this evolutionary process where artists can lose their way. As they “evolve,” they move away from what makes them great. It’s change for change’s sake as opposed to true progress. They put horns in their music, or excessive production, or dabble with genre influences outside of their comfort zones, often to the detriment of the original appeal of the music or even the artist’s authenticity.
But the greatest artists don’t evolve through their music, their music evolves through them. Their songs are a shadow of themselves, or a parallel line with their personal lives. Life takes them in a certain direction, and the music follows.
John Moreland has built his career heretofore on being the sad, overweight, overwrought songwriter with tears in his voice that hoity toity Americana types can glam onto as the modern day testament to sorrow in music. No, you can never be accused of falling prey to image, marketing, or polish as a John Moreland fan. There he sits, all by his lonesome at center stage, in the largest shirt manufactured in the world and a scraggly unkempt beard, singing about heartbreak that is so easy to marry to what you perceive his true life to be. If the songs weren’t so damn good, and Moreland wasn’t so obviously unpretentious, some might mistake it as some sort version of theatrical performance art as opposed to a musical presentation.
But John Moreland is evolving, and evolving away from what he’s been known for. He’s now married, and happy, at least for the most part. So what will this do to all of the parenthetical caveats to his sad bastard music?
All these poetic notions about how artists need to suffer and be depressed to make meaningful music by dragging themselves through drug addiction and shitty relationships just to wrench the muse out of their cold and downtrodden hearts … that’s all bullshit. Maybe this is true for a certain minority, but the best artists bleed creative expression that flows out of them regardless of mood or situation, and if anything, is benefited by clarity of mind and stability of surroundings.
Townes Van Zandt and these other guys, they made great music in spite of their personal troubles, not because of them. Look at the careers of Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Justin Townes Earle and so many more. It all started in earnest for them after the sad story came to an end. And so should it for John Moreland.
Moreland has always been the apex predator in the songwriting department since he began releasing albums, even preceding Jason Isbell for those who put the effort out to seek Moreland out and listen. But the production of his records has always left a little to be desired. It’s hard for an artist who is used to performing solo to sit in a studio and know what to do with additional musicians, and this came through in the recording process. Don’t mistake this as a desire for Moreland to have a “produced” sound. That would suffocate his music faster than anything. But releasing music that is infectious, that honors groove, that finds a fetching melody is just another way to broaden the audience for John Moreland songs and enhance the experience, and shouldn’t been seen as somehow disrespecting or misunderstanding what’s at the heart of his appeal.
Big Bad Luv is exactly the type of album that John Moreland needed to make, where his songcraft suffers none, but is bolstered by the virtue of a more compositional approach to the music itself. And this is the only place he could improve or “evolve,” because the songwriting was already at the pinnacle. There is almost nothing artistically speaking to the jangly guitar solo at the end of the song “Amen, So Be It,” but it builds tension in the melody and lyric that makes the listening experience not just resonate in the mind and heart, but in the limbs and loins. The little offbeat tones in “Love Is Not An Answer” that sound like someone blowing through a straw or something, this is what reinforces the tempo and pentameter of the song, and makes you want to listen over and over.
One of the problems with stellar songwriting is that just like a joke, it’s never going to hit you harder than the first time you hear it, unless there’s something to unravel. But a groove is longer lasting, and can even grow over time. And then when John Moreland strips the music back, like he does in “No Glory in Regret,” the moment is rendered that much more special because it’s isolated to one song instead of the approach to an entire performance or album.
This album works like memories do. Salient, yet immersed in longing. Warm, but tinged with a little bit of pain. The song ends, but the message remains in your heart—and on this album, the melody and beat still frolicking in your toes, while presenting maybe even a more elevated songwriting effort from previous Moreland works, if that is even possible.
I’d feel like an idiot trying to sit here and describe the power of John Moreland’s words with whatever feeble and fleeting words I could compose myself. But except for the first song “Sallisaw Blues,” which feels a little superfluous, all the songs of this album deserve to be considered in the highest regard and listened to intently. I will say that a couple of the themes that come up and really hit home are about how we can mistake love for a disease when we find ourselves sideways with it, but that doesn’t mean we should ever give up on it, and that you should be careful in justifying your shortcomings as virtues just because you’re afraid you don’t have the strength to overcome them. Now those are so pretty evolutionary themes to behold.
One of the reasons some enjoyed John Moreland’s music was that it was so ugly and depressing there was no worry about it ever getting popular, and ruining the exclusivity of the experience. Well tough shit. Miranda Lambert’s a fan, and if there is any justice in the world, so will many more from the mighty effort expended by Moreland on Big Bad Luv.
Two Guns Up.
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May 9, 2017 @ 11:24 am
“…their music evolves through them”. On point review, this is. Great record
May 9, 2017 @ 11:31 am
Trig, nice review. Been following you for a long time and never seen a full 2 guns up. Would like to see the link of the last one you gave out.
May 9, 2017 @ 11:38 am
They are rare, but they come up every once in a while.
Jaime Wyatt got one a few months ago:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/album-review-jaime-wyatts-felony-blues/
May 9, 2017 @ 6:01 pm
That review and record (along with the just better writing) are why I check in to this site everyday and binge read articles. Absolutely love her voice and that album.
May 9, 2017 @ 11:33 am
This is one of those albums that just gets better every time I listen to it. I’ve been a fan of his for a while and the new direction of this album was definitely different than his previous efforts but he was able to do it while also staying true to what made him one of the best writers and vocalists in music. The more I listen to it the more I love it.
Definitely right near the top of the list for album of the year.
May 9, 2017 @ 11:37 am
I love John Moreland especially this album. Every album he puts out is so genuine. His albums speak to the inner sadness that life can bring, but they still sound so hopeful. I appreciate the insight artists have when they can take a small part of a personal experience and then turn it into a full fledged song with developed characters. At the same time, however, i like it better when artists can take you deep into a personal experience and write about exactly how they feel. John Moreland does this, and he can put his feelings into a song so well that he can put you in touch with your inner feelings as well. The feelings that you try to ignore all the time because you don’t have time to ponder them with how busy life is.
May 9, 2017 @ 11:51 am
No Glory In Regret hit hard on the first listen. The same way 3:59 or blacklist did. Ain’t we Gold and Slow Down Easy are also killer tracks I did not expect out of Moreland. This album is amazing and I’ll be shocked if it’s not Album of the Year on this site.
May 9, 2017 @ 1:02 pm
I’d bought High On Tulsa Heat a while back but it had slipped outside my rotation – i think my phone was low on memory and had to remove some stuff for a while… regardless, I binged on it til the new album came out and I’ve had it on repeat ever since (title and ghetto sled cover art aside). I even went back and got In The Throes but havent gotten around to listening to it yet (because Big Bad Luv)…
I only ever listened to him in the first place cause a lot of the bands i did listen to was really hyping up Tulsa Heat on instagram at the time – sometimes social media pays off.
anyway – thanks for the review, good write up and spot on
May 9, 2017 @ 1:03 pm
So glad to read this rave review! I always worry that artists I really like are going to stumble or stagnate ( as some have lately, imo — no names), and it was clear that Moreland was at a point where he needed to evolve, and also at a point where he was going to get a lot more attention than he’d previously “enjoyed” (the pressure was on, in other words). Will go get this one immediately. Also gotta say thanks to Trigger for the quality of his writing. As a writer myself, I don’t know how he produces such thoughtful stuff so consistently (e.g., “the greatest artists don’t evolve through their music, their music evolves through them”). No need to worry about the “feeble and fleeting words,” Trigger. You do just fine.
May 9, 2017 @ 2:20 pm
Love this record. What a run Moreland is on. In the Throes is in my all-time Top 10.
May 9, 2017 @ 2:20 pm
I was a huge fan of In the Throes. It’s definitely not polished, but I still consider it to be one of my favorite albums of all time. But I almost wish I’d discovered High on Tulsa Heat first. It felt too much like a list of songs that didn’t quite make the cut when he recorded In the Throes. High on Tulsa Heat was good, but I could never get as into it as I did his previous album.
There’s still a lot to unpack and sort through with Big Bad Luv, but by the second track, Moreland had me hooked. This was the album he needed to make.
May 9, 2017 @ 2:28 pm
I know it’s apples to oranges but while everyone was waiting for Stapletons new album I was waiting for this and it did not disappoint. For me this was the better album since I’m sure both will make a lot of end of the year lists.
May 9, 2017 @ 2:50 pm
I always describe Moreland’s music as beautiful sorrow. He just makes sadness sound so damn pretty. When you can write as great as he does you can get away with a lot of stuff as far as an album goes. Stapleton will get more attention of course, but I think this is the better album.
May 9, 2017 @ 5:40 pm
Hands down the leading candidate for Album of the Year. Looking forward to seeing him next month.
May 9, 2017 @ 6:40 pm
This is the one to beat. Trigger, you put it better than anyone else could have. I have listen to this album several times front to back and every single time I find something new that surprises me.
One of my favorite points to album is that there are so many small subtle aspects to it. The straw like sound on Love is not the Answer” is surprising and brilliant. What an amazing album, and it’s a shame that most people will not hear it.
Definitely album of the year contention unless something big comes out this year. I’m Looking at you Jason Isbell.
May 9, 2017 @ 7:34 pm
“But releasing music that is infectious, that honors groove, that finds a fetching melody is just another way to broaden the audience for John Moreland songs and enhance the experience, and shouldn’t been seen as somehow disrespecting or misunderstanding what’s at the heart of his appeal.”
Do these arrangements disrespect or misunderstand the heart of Moreland’s appeal? No. But some distract.
I am not opposed in principle to more involved arrangements — I enjoy the record versions of his “In the Throes” and “Tulsa Heat” material just as much as his live versions. But with this decision comes responsibility. And at times on this record I found some questionable decisions distracted from his incredible writing. (For example, those clicks in “Love Is Not An Answer”… why, just why?)
Also, these arrangements don’t always support the content or fit with John’s naturally intense vocals. The wandering piano on “Lies I Chose to Believe,” for example, just doesn’t complement the message, and the uncharacteristically mild production of “Old Wounds” doesn’t suit Moreland’s voice (like never).
This was one of my my most anticipated albums of the year. His writing does not disappoint, but I guess I’m off to Youtube to find some of these live…
May 9, 2017 @ 7:50 pm
Of course this boils down to taste, but I loved those clicks in “Love Is Not An Answer.” I think they made the song. Of course the writing is great anyway, but sometimes it’s those extra little things that make a song memorable.
May 10, 2017 @ 6:17 pm
The subtle dissonance in this album is part of what makes it great. Those clicks and off beat piano notes are fucking genius.
May 9, 2017 @ 8:55 pm
I agree with the above comments about the thoughtful and unique writing you seem to put into each review…agree with most of the points about this album except the blowing-through-a-straw sound on “Love Is Not an Answer” actually bothers me, and I like the song in spite of that. Incredible songwriting throughout the album…also, as a blind person, I am now curious about this cover art, as well as the Goodbye Normal street cover lol. It kind of fascinates me the amount of comments I see here about cover art if I”m honest, but I guess that’s a sighted thing 🙂
May 9, 2017 @ 11:20 pm
Excellent review, Trigger. Was planning to buy this already; queued up in the cart. After reading the review, I feel I need to expedite the purchase. John Moreland is, for me, one of the great songwriters of the current era.
May 10, 2017 @ 3:37 am
Quickly added to my shortlist of favorites for the year as well. But am I the only one who thinks he kind of sounds like Bruce Springsteen? In a good way.
May 10, 2017 @ 4:18 am
A great, great record. And if it echoes early Springsteen it’s only in the spot-on multi-angled summary of bits of the American experience – the record is all Morelands’s. This is a Great American Recording.
May 10, 2017 @ 5:48 am
Totally. I’m not saying he’s copying or even heavily influenced by Springsteen. I mostly hear it in his voice. There’s a certian tonal quality and a few inflections that remind me of The Boss. Particularly on the quieter tunes.
May 10, 2017 @ 9:10 am
I can’t wait to see him at Forecastle in July. He caught my ear with Sad Baptist Rain off his last album, and this one runs deeper. A true craftsman that deserves a listen from anybody that appreciates good songwriting.
May 10, 2017 @ 3:34 pm
I was waiting for this review. Downloaded it on release day and have been listening non stop ever since. Sallisaw Blues and Ain’t We Gold are my standouts, but there’s not a throwaway track in the bunch. It’s gotten me through a crap day at work and had me car dancing on the way home.
And I love the little clicks or random musical breaks. Makes it more interesting.
But, my favorite thing about this is that the sound is less muddled than previous releases.
Now I just need him to tour near me so I can go see him in person…
May 11, 2017 @ 6:01 am
Please help! Trying to give him a chance but not overwhelmed by the 30 second snippets on Amazon. Wondering if there is a consensus on an undeniably great song of his that’ll turn me?
May 11, 2017 @ 6:11 am
If you’re talking about Moreland in general, you can stream his first album In the Throes on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3U6Gp_78ks
I haven’t spent enough time the new one to recommend a song on it. It sounds good, but I haven’t given it my undivided attention yet.
May 11, 2017 @ 4:50 pm
Thank you
May 11, 2017 @ 9:05 pm
Oh my, this (former?) sad bastard knows how to write a song. By far his most upbeat and inclusive work, you might even tap a toe in a couple of places. A very nice surprise from Moreland.
May 12, 2017 @ 2:44 pm
This is a lovely album, in so many ways. He’s a great songwriter with a fantastic voice, and that’s always going to be a winning combination. A bit more emotionally upbeat than what I’ve heard of his previous work for sure, but no less beautiful for the happiness.
PS as a Brit who’s got an odd obsession with country music and Americana, I just wanted to say thanks for the website. It’s got me into a lot of great stuff the past few years that I’d probably not otherwise have heard of, so cheers, and keep up the good work.
May 20, 2017 @ 3:24 pm
Fantastic review…one of your best and I agree with every word. This is an outstanding album.