Sundowner (album)
Sundowner | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 16, 2020 | |||
Recorded | January 2019[1] | |||
Studio | Sonic Ranch[1] | |||
Length | 46:41 | |||
Label | Dead Oceans | |||
Producer | Brad Cook | |||
Kevin Morby chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Sundowner | ||||
|
Sundowner is the sixth studio album by American indie rock musician Kevin Morby, released on October 16, 2020, on Dead Oceans.[2][3][4][5]
Background
[edit]Sundowner was written at Morby's home in Kansas where he lives with his partner Katie Crutchfield, and which they nicknamed 'The Little Los Angeles'.[1][6] The album was recorded in January 2019 with producer Brad Cook at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas.[1] In the meantime, Morby released his fifth studio album, Oh My God (2019), and went on tour in support of it. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Morby and Cook put the finishing touches on Sundowner from their respective homes.[7]
In an essay announcing the album, Morby described the album as his "attempt to put the Middle American twilight—its beauty profound, though not always immediate—into sound."[8]
Release
[edit]Sundowner was announced on September 1, 2020.[9] The album's first single "Campfire", was released the same day.[10] "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun" and "Wander" were released as singles on September 23, 2020.[11] "Sundowner" was released as a single on October 7, 2020.[12] The album was released on October 16, 2020 via Dead Oceans.[13]
A Night at the Little Los Angeles
[edit]On October 8, 2021, Morby released A Night at the Little Los Angeles, a collection of 4-track demo versions of the songs on Sundowner.[14] It features demos of all the songs except "Jamie", which is replaced with a demo version of Morby's standalone single "U.S. Mail".[15]
Critical reception
[edit]Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.1/10[16] |
Metacritic | 73/100[17] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Clash | 7/10[19] |
Exclaim! | 7/10[7] |
Loud and Quiet | 8/10[20] |
musicOMH | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Mojo | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Pitchfork | 7.2/10[24] |
PopMatters | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Uncut | 7/10[26] |
At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Sundowner received an average score of 73 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]
Fred Thomas of AllMusic wrote, "Its gentle melancholy and unhurried tempos slowly melt into a sustained atmosphere, offering some of Morby's gentlest and most captivating songs."[18] Ross Horton of musicOMH called it "Morby's Harvest Moon, his Nebraska, his Hejira – a statement of intent made in the quietest way possible."[21]
Year-end lists
[edit]Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
NBHAP | 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 49
|
|
Uncut | The Top 75 Albums of the Year | 27
|
|
Indie Basement (BrooklynVegan) | Top 40 Albums of 2020 | 36
|
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Kevin Morby
No. | Titel | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Valley" | 4:04 |
2. | "Brother, Sister" | 4:37 |
3. | "Sundowner" | 5:09 |
4. | "Campfire" | 5:19 |
5. | "Wander" | 1:54 |
6. | "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun" | 5:21 |
7. | "A Night at the Little Los Angeles" | 7:10 |
8. | "Jamie" | 4:11 |
9. | "Velvet Highway" | 3:20 |
10. | "Provisions" | 5:36 |
Total length: | 46:41 |
Personnel
[edit]- Kevin Morby – vocals, guitar, drums, piano, mellotron, pump organ, insert photo
- Brad Cook – production, bass, keys, drum machine, backing vocals (track 2)
- Katie Crutchfield – vocals (tracks 4, 6)
- James Krivchenia – percussion, backing vocals (track 2)
- Jerry Ordonez – mixing, engineering
- Brent Lambert – mastering
- Johnny Eastland – cover photo
- Matt Lief Anderson – insert photo
- Mike Krol – layout, design
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Sundowner (liner notes). Kevin Morby. Dead Oceans. 2020. DOC231.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Leas, Ryan (October 8, 2020). "Kevin Morby Conjured Sundowner Out Of New Love, Death, The Midwest, And A Tape Machine". Stereogum. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Rutledge, Chris (October 15, 2020). "Kevin Morby 'Sundowner' Finds Itself At Crossroads of Relevant, Reflective". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ "Going Home With Kevin Morby". Aquarium Drunkard. October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Ross, Alex Robert (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby on the Midwestern romance behind Sundowner". The FADER. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Walker, Gary (December 3, 2020). "Kevin Morby rediscovers the joy of four-tracks on Sundowner". Guitar.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ a b Owczarz, Matt (October 14, 2020). "Kevin Morby Finds Tenderness in Isolation on 'Sundowner'". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Terry, Josh (October 15, 2020). "3 Things That Influenced Kevin Morby's New LP 'Sundowner'". Noisey. Vice. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Martoccio, Angie (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Previews New LP With 'Campfire' Video Featuring Waxahatchee". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Turman, Katherine (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares New Single, 'Campfire,' From Upcoming Album". Spin. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Roberts, Christopher (September 23, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares New Songs "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun" and "Wander"". Under the Radar. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Rosenthal, Paris (October 7, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares Sundowner Title Track: Listen". Paste. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Announces New Album Sundowner, Shares New Video With Waxahatchee". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
- ^ Rossignol, Derrick (August 18, 2021). "Kevin Morby Announces A Collection Of 'Sundowner' Demos, 'A Night At The Little Los Angeles'". Uproxx. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
- ^ Watts, Peter (October 2021). "Kevin Morby - A Night At The Little Los Angeles". Uncut. No. 293. p. 29.
- ^ "Sundowner by Kevin Morby reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ a b "Sundowner by Kevin Morby Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "Sundowner – Kevin Morby". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Pywell, Matthew (October 12, 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Clash. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
- ^ Crabtree, Isabel (October 12, 2020). "Kevin Morby - Sundowner - Album Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ a b Horton, Ross (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". musicOMH. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- ^ Segal, Victoria (November 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Mojo. No. 324. p. 80.
- ^ Smith, Thomas (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby – 'Sundowner' review: intimate, lo-fi musings on love and isolation". NME. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Kemp, Sophie (October 19, 2020). "Kevin Morby: Sundowner Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ Kearney, Kevin (October 23, 2020). "Kevin Morby Gets Back to Basics on 'Sundowner'". PopMatters. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
- ^ Staunton, Terry (November 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Uncut. No. 282. p. 33.
- ^ "NBHAP's 50 Best Albums Of 2020". Nothing but Hope and Passion. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "The Top 75 Albums Of The Year". Uncut. No. 284. January 2021. p. 76.
- ^ "Indie Basement: Top 40 Albums of 2020". BrooklynVegan. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.