Self-penned 14-track third album from Morgan Wade finds her in reflective mood.
Morgan Wade had a rapid rise to prominence with her single ‘Wilder Days’, which was the most-played track on Absolute Radio Country in 2022. Featured on her debut album ‘Reckless’, Wade followed this with her 2023 album ‘Psychopath’, following a short UK tour in spring that year. Her new release ‘Obsessed’ has emerged less than a year later, and reflects the feelings of loneliness and being far from home when touring, she says.
Its 14 songs are all credited solely to Wade, some penned in the last year, some written earlier, but all very much focussed on relationships, past and present, and the travails of finding oneself, with many a pitfall along the way. The overall tone is definitely one of reflection, and while, for example, Alanis Morrisette in ‘Jagged Little Pill’ era (with whom Wade has toured recently) tackled similar issues with visceral anger, Wade has much more of a tone of acceptance and understanding, as part of a journey, even sometimes weary resignation.
Wade’s distinctive vocal has a hard bitten edge, which suits the often confessional tone of her songs, and is always totally convincing, drawing the listener into her life and her loves, regrets and passions. She is a fine lyricist, at once conversational, but still with a sharp turn of phrase, as in ‘Reality’, singing “DND on the door/ Lingerie on the floor/ You know how it is/ Mary Jane in your blood stream/ Tell me, do you love me/ And give me one more kiss”, before concluding “Cause I don’t wanna face reality/ Won’t you stay with me”, acknowledging vulnerability.
In ‘Juliet’, Wade uses Shakespeare’s classic love story as her vehicle “Juliet, your lips taste like wine/ You’re laying in his bed but you’re thinking of mine/ Romeo ain’t what you need/ I think you should run away with me”, asking “Is it wrong if I love you?”
‘2AM in London’ follows an honourable line of songs about life on the road for the touring musician, from Loudon Wainwright IIIs ‘Motel Blues’ to Lynn Miles ‘Casinos El Camino’ and Mary Gauthier’s ‘Camelot Motel’. In Wade’s words, “It’s 2AM in London/And I hate sleeping alone/Between the neighbors that scream/ And this TV screen/I wish someone would throw me a bone/I just need you to be here/I want two shadows on my wall/It’s 2AM in London, baby/ And I just want to come home.”
Opening track ‘Total Control’ is a rocker, with insistent electric guitar, Wade missing her partner, and declaring “Your soul has a light I want to see/ Your love has total control over me.” ‘Crossing State Lines’ is a tale of unrequited love, building from a gentle intro as Wade sings “You never wanted me and I wanted you to/ I never held you tight and I never tasted your lips/ I thought I found heaven and what kinda hell was this”, before reaching a powerful climactic outro reflecting the power of desire.
Most of the albums tracks though are more relaxed, down or mid-tempo, with arrangements featuring acoustic guitar, piano and pedal steel. ‘Walked on Water’ is a collaboration with singer-songwriter Kesha, who shares vocals, on a ballad mourning a failed relationship which ended with bitterness and regret “But we aren’t the same/ I wish you well/ As you’re praying to God/ That I just burn in hell” despite hopes that “I thought we’d get married/ And move to the beach/ But like everything I’ve said/ It’s just smoke and dreams.”
This is a very personal album from Wade which repays repeated listens to explore her emotional and finely crafted lyrics, in her expressive voice.
