Description
Bows & Arrows is the tenth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Cindy Morgan, independently released on Lucid Artist in 2015. The album was produced by Cindy Morgan with Kyle Buchanan co-producing.
In 2016, the pop combo Merripennie released a self-titled EP on Lucid Artist, a project fronted by Cindy Morgan.
Some artist’s work just demands to be heard, and the songwriting of Cindy Morgan is definitely in that company. On her latest indie effort, Bows & Arrows, the artist continues to define herself as one of the top songwriters in the business today, crafting poetic, honest lyrics alongside compelling and engaging soundscapes. This time out she draws from an Americana palette of sounds, and that warm framework, along with some help from some good talented friends, helps to make this one of this year’s must listen albums.
Morgan’s record feels like what might have occurred had The Civil Wars‘ Joy Williams taken a different turn with her solo work, digging deep into rich southern roots with plaintive vocals and scintillating acoustic performances. Along to help the artist out are artist’s like acclaimed mandolin picker Sierra Hull and up-right bassist Viktor Krauss, whose presence here gives the album an added lift.
Things get off to a moody start on «Breaking Heart», as tight mandolin fills anchor Morgan’s edgy vocal delivery while energetic fiddle vibes keep things flowing. Singer-songwriter Gabe Dison offers his assistance on «Can’t Help Yourself», his tones a perfect match to Morgan’s, delivering a duet of no small proportions as longtime friend and artist Andrew Greer stops by to help on the banjo-driven «I Know You». Rich strings and warm piano ground the title track, Morgan’s poignant lyrics cutting to the heart with their exploration of our children growing up and the bittersweet moments therein, while the haunting intro to «Wandering Child» delivers on its promise, the transparent track echoing with pain and emotion. «Unbroken» provides a quiet moment of reflection and thoughtfulness, the soundscape warm and inviting, while «Do You Know Jesus» plays out like a modern day «Just As I Am», with guest vocals from Jonathan Kingham. Rustling with a mid tempo energy, «The Sound of a Train» has an old country vibe to it, swells of lap steel weeping across the shuffling beat before the stirring a cappella delivery of «I Want to Live» sweeps in with its stark passion. «In the Red» follows with an insistent beat that hammers home the gospel message to find the hope in the red letters, the tight groove growing ever more infectious, while «Bring Balloons» slows things down to a gentle wander. Morgan re-works one of her most requested classics, «How Could I Ask for More», with help from Andrew Peterson, and the transition is a powerful one, the Americana textures a perfect fit to the familiar lyric, breathing new life into the song. With subtle, sparsely produced acoustic guitar, Morgan closes things out with the reprise, «I Want to Live Part 2», the unpolished nature of the ending coda serving as the perfect bookend.
The work of Cindy Morgan has always been such to encourage listeners to want to listen again and again, both for the beauty of the music and truth-telling of her voice, but also for the compelling stories and insights within her songwriting. Bows & Arrows builds upon that foundation and doesn’t waver, delivering a musical backdrop that is engaging throughout, while the artist’s rich stories will have listeners coming back again and again, peeling back the layers with each listen. [Shawn McLaughlin, Christian Musician, November/December 2015]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/bows-arrows-deluxe-edition/1693465103)
CD tracklist:
01. Breaking Heart – 3:59
02. Can’t Help Yourself (feat. Gabe Dixon & Sierra Hull) – 4:27
03. I Know You (feat. Andrew Greer) – 3:46
04. Bows & Arrows – 5:01
05. Wandering Child – 4:18
06. Unbroken – 5:33
07. Do You Know Jesus (feat. Jonathan Kingham) – 5:00
08. The Sound of a Train – 4:31
09. I Want to Live – 0:49
10. In the Red – 3:56
11. Bring Balloons – 4:41
12. How Could I Ask for More (feat. Andrew Peterson) – 4:00
13. I Want to Live Part 2 – 1:08
Note: CD housed in a black and white digipak. A Deluxe Edition was released January 2019.
“I Know You” / “Breaking Heart” / “Can’t Help Yourself” / “Do You Know Jesus” (MUSIC VIDEOS)
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.