Review: Lauren Morrow Spurs Discourse on ‘People Talk’

Lauren Morrow
People Talk
(Big Kitty Records)
3 1/2 out of 5 stars

There was never any doubt about who the front person of Atlanta’s The Whiskey Gentry was. The cover of the band’s 2017 Dead Ringer album was a headshot of their lead singer, then known as Lauren Staley.

Lauren married the band’s guitarist Jason Morrow, moved to Nashville, and began a career under her new name with Jason in tow. A 2018 EP found Morrow treading similar country-infused singer/songwriter turf as her previous band. There have been a handful of singles since, shifting away from that sound and leading to this, her solo full-length debut.

Morrow now incorporates a more contemporary, less rootsy slant. The result is darker, especially on tracks such as “Nobody But Me” where she defiantly sings There ain’t no other woman that I’d rather be, as her husband squeezes out a tautly constructed guitar solo over increasingly dramatic, rock-oriented backing. The singer ponders her “Family Tree” on the slow waltz-time song of that name, questioning where she will end up as an extension of the relatives that came before. The creeping pedal steel helps bring the melancholy air to a simmer. The opening ballad, “I’m Sorry,” is the album’s most dynamic moment. Morrow, in full diva mode, ramps up the song, working it like a combination of Patsy Cline, Brandi Carlile, and Neko Case as a distorted guitar hammers its reaching-for-the-back–rows vibe.

On the accusatory “Looking for Trouble,” Morrow warns what seems to be a lover You probably shouldn’t push me, you don’t wanna get me angry before an extended guitar lead from her husband twists, grinds, and frazzles the track into dangerous territory.

She throws in the darkly comical “Hustle” to change and lighten the mood. Its bouncy, clip-cloppity rhythm, includes a Jay-Z quote proclaiming the triumphs and frustrations of working, err hustling, hard for a living. It’s guaranteed to generate smiles and be a concert favorite but seems out of place with the melancholy tone of the rest of these tracks.

Morrow has a clear, distinct voice that swings from sensitive and sultry to powerful and edgy, putting the country influences she once featured on the back burner. The duskier, indie pop and singer/songwriter fare featured here suits her vocals, moving the singer into a challenging new phase of a career, still being designed.  

Photo by Jace Kartye / IVPR