This new Kevin Morby album, hoo boy. As soon as I heard Little Wide Open, it went into heavy rotation, and my fandom went into overdrive. I can't wait for you to hear it. If I was a huge cornball I would tell you to call it his KC masterpiece, and because I am, I will.
"Badlands" is the opening track. It did what openers are supposed to do, roping me in and ramping up my excitement for what's to come. Today, it becomes the third advance single to go along with "Javelin" and "Die Young." The song makes reference to Midwestern tornadoes, with Justin Vernon cast in the role of tornado siren. Amelia Meath's beautiful voice is in there too, as it is on several Little Wide Open tracks (and on a new Mazzy Star cover out today). The normally understated Morby howls his lungs out on this one too.
"Kansas City is not the badlands but it’s my badlands," Morby says. "It’s not the bible belt but it’s my bible belt." Listen below.
Little Wide Open is out 5/15 on Dead Oceans. Morby wrote a nice piece about the tenth anniversary of his album Singing Saw at his Substack.
