| T. Hardy Morris — Dude, The Obscure (June 22, 2018) |
T. Hardy Morris — Dude, The Obscure (June 22, 2018)
♦•♣ Celkem univerzální zpěvák, kytarista, písničkář, člen skupin Dead Confederate a Diamond Rugs. Nahrávka pořízena v Playground Sound, Nashville, TN. Třetí album protéká z tvůrčího prostoru, na křižovatce snů a reality. Morris se v úchvatných písních zbavuje pasti ambicí a nostalgie a odhaluje podivné uspokojování života v okamžiku. ♦•♣ Dokonce i název alba “Dude, The Obscure,” narážel na sebeobjevení. K poctě autorskému románu Thomase Hardyho “Jude, The Obscure”, Morris odhaluje svou lásku k literatuře, filozofii a poezii — spolu s rouškou tajemství svého jména. “Thomas Hardy je moje příjmení a “Dude, The Obscure” je pseudonym, který jsem považoval za umělecký”, řekl Morris.
♦•♣ Každá píseň na albu se zdá být inspirována touhou Morrise pomáhat sebe — a jiným — dobýt prázdnotu každodenní bezvýznamnosti. Je to úsilí podobné filozofu Maurice Blanchotovi, který to popsal jako úzkost psaní: “Musíte překročit propast, a pokud nebudete skákat, neporozumíte.” Morris vezme v potaz tento skok, aby nacházel univerzální pravdu tím, že občas opouští, dokonce oponuje perspektivám z pohledu jednoho prchavého okamžiku a těmi, co mají moc změnit životy. Morris nás krásně varuje, abychom nepodléhali obavám z toho, že nám něco chybí, že nám něco stojí v cestě spokojenosti například v momentu písně, která album definuje — Cheating Life, Living Death. “Každý sen je pozvánkou / Chceš~li ponechat svou lásku na polici / kdy vyjíždíš každý večer / podvádíš život a zažíváš smrt.” Pro session se Morris seznámil s rodinným poutem v domácím studiu Adama Landryho v Nashvillu. Dlouhodobí spolupracovníci si udělali čas a dali každé písni příležitost, aby ji neinfikovaly vnější vlivy, s výjimkou magie, která nastane, když se dva kamarádi zamknou v zakouřené kůlně, aby vytvořili hudbu, a několik kamarádů se zastaví. V rámci 11ti mocných písní odhalí rocker jizvy a sdílí ponaučení z indie~rockové odysey, která ho přivedla z cest po celém světě zpět domů, aby se ocitla trochu starší a blíže k něčemu, čemu se říká osvícení. A právě včas, aby začala nová cesta.
♦•♣ Versatile singer, songwriter, and guitarist; a member of Dead Confederate and Diamond Rugs as well as an emerging solo artist.
Born: in Augusta, GA
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Recording Location: Playground Sound, Nashville, TN
Genre: Indie, Singer~Songwriter, Psychedelic
Album release: June 22, 2018
Record Label: Normaltown Records
Duration: 46:02
Tracks:
01. Be 5:12
02. Homemade Bliss 3:57
03. The Night Everything Changed 4:39
04. Cheating Life, Living Death 4:10
05. When the Record Skips 3:14
06. Stage Names 3:54
07. No Reason 3:30
08. NY 5:05
09. Lit By Midnight 3:19
10. 4 Days of Rain 3:34
11. Purple House Blues 5:28
© 2018 Normaltown Records
Written by:
♦•♣ Adam Landry / T. Hardy Morris 1
♦•♣ T. Hardy Morris 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Credits:
⦿ John Baldwin Mastering
⦿ Vanessa Carlton Vocals
⦿ Julian Dorio Drums
⦿ Matt Etgen Layout
⦿ Vaughan Lamb Bass, Vocals
⦿ Adam Landry Bass, Composer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer
⦿ John McCauley Vocals
⦿ Lillie Morris Paintings
⦿ T. Hardy Morris Bass, Composer, Cover Photo, Direction, Guitar, Package Design, Vocals
⦿ Thayer Serrano Keyboards, Vocals
⦿ Alec Stanley Cover Photo
⦿ Nick Sterchi Drums, Percussion
⦿ Matt “Pistol” Stoessel Pedal Steel
Review
By Chris Steffen · Jun. 18, 2018
≡Δ≡ T. Hardy Morris doesn’t waste a lot of time. Just three months after his Southern hard rock band Dead Confederate released its final album, 2013’s In the Marrow, Morris put out his first solo record, the four~star Audition Tapes. Drownin on a Mountaintop followed in 2015, which editor Mark Deming likened to a happy collision of several of Neil Young’s more disparate albums, showcasing pedal steel guitar one moment and garage band swagger the next.
≡Δ≡ On his third album, the upcoming Dude, the Obscure, Morris takes his ambitions skyward, infusing a joyous psychedelia into the mix, allowing a spacey twang to drive songs like “The Night Everything Changed,” while his reverb~soaked voice sits alongside the ambling acoustic guitar of “4 Days of Rain.”
≡Δ≡ “I wanted the album to be psychedelic,” Morris wrote. “Not just in the music or instrumentation, I wanted the songs themselves to be psychedelic and kind of these explorations of certain thoughts or moments. Adam [Landry, producer] and I tried to avoid genre and just let the songs lead us where they wanted to go.”
AllMusic Review by Mark Deming; Score: ***½
≡Δ≡ The liner notes to T. Hardy Morris’ third solo effort, 2018’s Dude, the Obscure, includes a quote from Maurice Blanchot that begins, “Writing is anguish.” To what extent this reflects Morris’ creative process while making Dude, the Obscure is open to speculation, but the album doesn’t sound like the work of someone who was having a wonderful time. The ragged, Neil Young~inspired tone of 2015’s Drownin on a Mountaintop is gone, and has been replaced by a sound that’s shadowy, spectral, and full of echoes, the product of late nights and a man alone with his troubled thoughts. ≡Δ≡ Morris is in a downbeat but philosophical mood on these songs, and there’s a loneliness reflected in tunes like “NY” and “Stage Names” that’s palpable, while the thoughtful side of “Cheating Life, Living Death” and “Homemade Bliss” may feel somewhat less morose but falls well short of encouraging. If Morris was trying to conjure a dark night of the soul in the recording studio, he most certainly succeeded, and Dude, the Obscure succeeds on its own gloomy terms. Morris’ vocals are eloquent in their expression of his most intimate musings, and the backing (which includes help from Matt Stoessel on pedal steel and Vanessa Carlton, of all people, on backing vocals) consistently delivers. Adam Landry, who produced and engineered the project as well as playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums, has done a splendid job helping Morris realize this cycle of songs, and while one might hope Morris feels better the next time he decides to make a record, Dude, the Obscure shows that he gained something worthwhile during his journey through difficult times.
About:
Tedo Stone
≡Δ≡ Athens, Georgia’s T. Hardy Morris (Dead Confederate, Diamond Rugs) is set to release his third solo album on May 25, 2018. Titled Dude, The Obscure, the album is a work that Morris says “flowed from a creative space I found at the intersection of dreams and reality.” In captivating songs, Morris sheds the traps of ambition and nostalgia and uncovers the strange satisfaction of living in the moment.
≡Δ≡ Even the album title, “Dude, The Obscure,” hints at self~discovery. In an homage to English author Thomas Hardy’s novel, “Jude, The Obscure,” Morris reveals his love for literature, philosophy and poetry — along with a secret about his stage name.
≡Δ≡ “Thomas Hardy is my given name, and Dude, The Obscure is a moniker I considered using as an artist,” Morris said. “The hat tip to the novel seemed appropriate for the album because it deals with doubts, joys, regrets and spirituality, a lifelong journey and such.”
≡Δ≡ Each song on the album seems compelled by Morris’ desire to help himself — and others — conquer the void of everyday meaninglessness. It’s an effort philosopher Maurice Blanchot described as the anguish of writing: “You have to cross an abyss, and if you do not jump, you do not comprehend.” Morris takes that leap to find universal truth by navigating sometimes opposing perspectives within moments that change lives. Morris beautifully warns us not to succumb to the fear of missing out that stands in the way of contentment on the album’s defining moment, “Cheating Life, Living Death.” Every dream is an invitation / To leave your love up on the shelf / When you walk out every evening / Cheating life and living death.”
≡Δ≡ For the sessions, Morris made the familiar pilgrimage to Adam Landry’s home studio in Nashville. The longtime collaborators took their time and gave each song the opportunity to grow unaffected by outside influence except the magic that happens when two friends lock themselves in a smoky shed to make music, and a few pals stop by.
≡Δ≡ Within 11 powerful songs, the Athens rocker reveals scars and shares lessons from an indie~rock odyssey that has taken him around the world and back home to find himself a little older and closer to something like enlightenment.
≡Δ≡ And just in time for a new journey to begin.
Label: https://store.newwestrecords.com/
Website: https://t.hardymorris.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/t.hardy.morris/
Discography:
≡Δ≡ 2013 Audition Tapes Dangerbird Records
≡Δ≡ 2015 Drownin on a Mountaintop Dangerbird Records
≡Δ≡ 2018 Dude, the Obscure New West / Normaltown Records
_____________________________________________________________
| T. Hardy Morris — Dude, The Obscure (June 22, 2018) |
♦•♣ Každá píseň na albu se zdá být inspirována touhou Morrise pomáhat sebe — a jiným — dobýt prázdnotu každodenní bezvýznamnosti. Je to úsilí podobné filozofu Maurice Blanchotovi, který to popsal jako úzkost psaní: “Musíte překročit propast, a pokud nebudete skákat, neporozumíte.” Morris vezme v potaz tento skok, aby nacházel univerzální pravdu tím, že občas opouští, dokonce oponuje perspektivám z pohledu jednoho prchavého okamžiku a těmi, co mají moc změnit životy. Morris nás krásně varuje, abychom nepodléhali obavám z toho, že nám něco chybí, že nám něco stojí v cestě spokojenosti například v momentu písně, která album definuje — Cheating Life, Living Death. “Každý sen je pozvánkou / Chceš~li ponechat svou lásku na polici / kdy vyjíždíš každý večer / podvádíš život a zažíváš smrt.” Pro session se Morris seznámil s rodinným poutem v domácím studiu Adama Landryho v Nashvillu. Dlouhodobí spolupracovníci si udělali čas a dali každé písni příležitost, aby ji neinfikovaly vnější vlivy, s výjimkou magie, která nastane, když se dva kamarádi zamknou v zakouřené kůlně, aby vytvořili hudbu, a několik kamarádů se zastaví. V rámci 11ti mocných písní odhalí rocker jizvy a sdílí ponaučení z indie~rockové odysey, která ho přivedla z cest po celém světě zpět domů, aby se ocitla trochu starší a blíže k něčemu, čemu se říká osvícení. A právě včas, aby začala nová cesta.
♦•♣ Versatile singer, songwriter, and guitarist; a member of Dead Confederate and Diamond Rugs as well as an emerging solo artist.
Born: in Augusta, GA
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Recording Location: Playground Sound, Nashville, TN
Genre: Indie, Singer~Songwriter, Psychedelic
Album release: June 22, 2018
Record Label: Normaltown Records
Duration: 46:02
Tracks:
01. Be 5:12
02. Homemade Bliss 3:57
03. The Night Everything Changed 4:39
04. Cheating Life, Living Death 4:10
05. When the Record Skips 3:14
06. Stage Names 3:54
07. No Reason 3:30
08. NY 5:05
09. Lit By Midnight 3:19
10. 4 Days of Rain 3:34
11. Purple House Blues 5:28
© 2018 Normaltown Records
Written by:
♦•♣ Adam Landry / T. Hardy Morris 1
♦•♣ T. Hardy Morris 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Credits:
⦿ John Baldwin Mastering
⦿ Vanessa Carlton Vocals
⦿ Julian Dorio Drums
⦿ Matt Etgen Layout
⦿ Vaughan Lamb Bass, Vocals
⦿ Adam Landry Bass, Composer, Drums, Engineer, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer
⦿ John McCauley Vocals
⦿ Lillie Morris Paintings
⦿ T. Hardy Morris Bass, Composer, Cover Photo, Direction, Guitar, Package Design, Vocals
⦿ Thayer Serrano Keyboards, Vocals
⦿ Alec Stanley Cover Photo
⦿ Nick Sterchi Drums, Percussion
⦿ Matt “Pistol” Stoessel Pedal Steel
Review
By Chris Steffen · Jun. 18, 2018
≡Δ≡ T. Hardy Morris doesn’t waste a lot of time. Just three months after his Southern hard rock band Dead Confederate released its final album, 2013’s In the Marrow, Morris put out his first solo record, the four~star Audition Tapes. Drownin on a Mountaintop followed in 2015, which editor Mark Deming likened to a happy collision of several of Neil Young’s more disparate albums, showcasing pedal steel guitar one moment and garage band swagger the next.
≡Δ≡ On his third album, the upcoming Dude, the Obscure, Morris takes his ambitions skyward, infusing a joyous psychedelia into the mix, allowing a spacey twang to drive songs like “The Night Everything Changed,” while his reverb~soaked voice sits alongside the ambling acoustic guitar of “4 Days of Rain.”
≡Δ≡ “I wanted the album to be psychedelic,” Morris wrote. “Not just in the music or instrumentation, I wanted the songs themselves to be psychedelic and kind of these explorations of certain thoughts or moments. Adam [Landry, producer] and I tried to avoid genre and just let the songs lead us where they wanted to go.”
AllMusic Review by Mark Deming; Score: ***½
≡Δ≡ The liner notes to T. Hardy Morris’ third solo effort, 2018’s Dude, the Obscure, includes a quote from Maurice Blanchot that begins, “Writing is anguish.” To what extent this reflects Morris’ creative process while making Dude, the Obscure is open to speculation, but the album doesn’t sound like the work of someone who was having a wonderful time. The ragged, Neil Young~inspired tone of 2015’s Drownin on a Mountaintop is gone, and has been replaced by a sound that’s shadowy, spectral, and full of echoes, the product of late nights and a man alone with his troubled thoughts. ≡Δ≡ Morris is in a downbeat but philosophical mood on these songs, and there’s a loneliness reflected in tunes like “NY” and “Stage Names” that’s palpable, while the thoughtful side of “Cheating Life, Living Death” and “Homemade Bliss” may feel somewhat less morose but falls well short of encouraging. If Morris was trying to conjure a dark night of the soul in the recording studio, he most certainly succeeded, and Dude, the Obscure succeeds on its own gloomy terms. Morris’ vocals are eloquent in their expression of his most intimate musings, and the backing (which includes help from Matt Stoessel on pedal steel and Vanessa Carlton, of all people, on backing vocals) consistently delivers. Adam Landry, who produced and engineered the project as well as playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums, has done a splendid job helping Morris realize this cycle of songs, and while one might hope Morris feels better the next time he decides to make a record, Dude, the Obscure shows that he gained something worthwhile during his journey through difficult times.
About:
Tedo Stone
≡Δ≡ Athens, Georgia’s T. Hardy Morris (Dead Confederate, Diamond Rugs) is set to release his third solo album on May 25, 2018. Titled Dude, The Obscure, the album is a work that Morris says “flowed from a creative space I found at the intersection of dreams and reality.” In captivating songs, Morris sheds the traps of ambition and nostalgia and uncovers the strange satisfaction of living in the moment.
≡Δ≡ Even the album title, “Dude, The Obscure,” hints at self~discovery. In an homage to English author Thomas Hardy’s novel, “Jude, The Obscure,” Morris reveals his love for literature, philosophy and poetry — along with a secret about his stage name.
≡Δ≡ “Thomas Hardy is my given name, and Dude, The Obscure is a moniker I considered using as an artist,” Morris said. “The hat tip to the novel seemed appropriate for the album because it deals with doubts, joys, regrets and spirituality, a lifelong journey and such.”
≡Δ≡ Each song on the album seems compelled by Morris’ desire to help himself — and others — conquer the void of everyday meaninglessness. It’s an effort philosopher Maurice Blanchot described as the anguish of writing: “You have to cross an abyss, and if you do not jump, you do not comprehend.” Morris takes that leap to find universal truth by navigating sometimes opposing perspectives within moments that change lives. Morris beautifully warns us not to succumb to the fear of missing out that stands in the way of contentment on the album’s defining moment, “Cheating Life, Living Death.” Every dream is an invitation / To leave your love up on the shelf / When you walk out every evening / Cheating life and living death.”
≡Δ≡ For the sessions, Morris made the familiar pilgrimage to Adam Landry’s home studio in Nashville. The longtime collaborators took their time and gave each song the opportunity to grow unaffected by outside influence except the magic that happens when two friends lock themselves in a smoky shed to make music, and a few pals stop by.
≡Δ≡ Within 11 powerful songs, the Athens rocker reveals scars and shares lessons from an indie~rock odyssey that has taken him around the world and back home to find himself a little older and closer to something like enlightenment.
≡Δ≡ And just in time for a new journey to begin.
Label: https://store.newwestrecords.com/
Website: https://t.hardymorris.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/t.hardy.morris/
Discography:
≡Δ≡ 2013 Audition Tapes Dangerbird Records
≡Δ≡ 2015 Drownin on a Mountaintop Dangerbird Records
≡Δ≡ 2018 Dude, the Obscure New West / Normaltown Records
_____________________________________________________________