It’s been a year of plenty for indie rock this year, with blockbuster releases by , and among others. But memorable as these albums are, they demand their listeners shoulder some quirks—electronic tendencies, a splash of reggaeton, a shaker of thrash. But with the holidays coming up, the question arises: where’s the take-home-to-mom indie music?
Fear not: the Babies frontman Kevin Morby has you covered with his first solo LP, “Harlem River.” A mix of smooth jazz and low-test 70s rock, there are no sudden movements on the album. At no point does “Wild Side” separate into minimalist electro-punk—though it does drop a Seuss-ism or two in its chorus. Even “Reign,” the album’s so-called murder ballad, is kind of precious. On it, Morby inverts “Amazing Grace” over a Western swing rhythm: “Ain’t no God to save a wretch like me.”
Despite Morby’s relative youth, his solo debut is deeply nostalgic. Morby’s focus isn’t on reforming but retracing genres of old, trusting his songwriting hand to make the difference. Opener is a lovely little 50s slow dance tune, but features a dark point of view we aren’t used to hearing from such sweet music: “That devil hung up on that cross / All the evil that I came upon.” Title track “Harlem River,” on the other hand, is an almost ten-minute cool-jazz lesson from the school of Jim Morrison songwriting: “In my pearl, in my diamond shoes / I climbed a cloud, now I’ve stole the moon.”
Above all, “Harlem River” is even, almost easy listening. Its nostalgic leanings wear out their welcome on repeat visits, and it’s got less edge than a slice of bologna. But like spending the holiday at your childhood home, there’s a comfort to the familiarity of Kevin Morby’s debut. If you don’t hear it, your parents will.
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Dylan Owens is Reverb’s all-purpose news blogger and album reviewer. You can read more from him in Relix magazine and the comment sections of WORLDSTARHIPHOP.
