Maren Morris – Girl

Maren Morris is considered country. Why is an artist considered country? Is it because the music was recorded in Nashville? Is it because of the instrumentation? Is it because of the twang in the singer’s voice? Is it the lyrics? Is it their career arc? Is it attitude?  Well it doesn’t matter, Maren Morris is a quality songwriter and performer. Her first album was country-ish and this, her second album, is barely country, but again it doesn’t matter to me – this is great pop music and I like it.

Morris’ music starts with a country foundation and adds pop rock flourishes you might find on a U2 or Coldplay album, Timbaland’s R&B textures and a rock elements like Stevie Nicks’ pout. Despite this odd mixture, the result is perfect. Morris’ generation grew up on eclectic playlists so juxtapositions are normal. They are not slaves to a genre. The results are not schizoid, but a brilliant fusion.

The more I listen to this album the more country it sounds. Despite Morris’ pop production and looking like a teenager, this is adult music (she is 29 so this should not be a surprise). There are fourteen songs here – even more impressive is that there is no filler material. There are some hit songs here, but every song is good – there is not a stinker on the album.

My only criticism of the album is the cover art.  The cover art undermines the quality and maturity of the material – it suggests teenage pop queen vs the mature artist Morris is.  Don’t judge this book by its cover – give Girl a listen.

PS: Target has a cool pale blue limited edition: