Morley Issue #38

Seen (Wrasse)

By Annie Holub
Published: December 1st, 2008 | 12:00am

As a former dance and yoga instructor, Morley knows a thing or two about movement. On her third album, Seen, songs inhabit every possible space they can stretch into, from lilting country to cosmopolitan pop. Morley’s voice alone is hypnotic — she sings in a register similar to Annie Lennox’s, with Sade’s soulful style and Bonnie Raitt’s spark — but the way each song bends and twists makes Seen the musical equivalent of hundreds of perfectly choreographed people each spinning in different directions.

“Unconditional Ass” features a horn section and a generous helping of funk. Morley is a force to be reckoned with on “Bird Over the Ocean” — “I’m gonna swoop like an arrow / Like a jet plane / Like a dream” she sings with controlled passion, as the building melody and throbbing percussion emphasize her battle cry.

“No Evidence” showcases Morley’s impressive narrative songwriting skills through the story of a young woman who joins the military, only to be silenced and cast aside. On “Say What I Know,” Morley shifts the perspective to first person, singing “I’m like a river / Changing fast and running sweet / Chasing after my own freedom / As if it lived outside of me.”

On the last track, “Women Of Hope,” Morley’s voice simultaneously transmits anger, frustration, grief, and hope as the music maintains a groove. The album as a whole emanates compassion and empathy, but this final call to action is perhaps the most exquisitely executed.

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