Deb Morrison - The North Fork

If you're lucky, once in awhile you'll find a whole record that really sinks its teeth into your ears and refuses to leave. And as a bonus, if you're looking for something that doesn't quite fit nicely into one musical box, then look no further than The North Fork, the excellent debut solo release from Deb Morrison. The bass-playing singer-songwriter from Southern California has managed to craft nine songs that are all like mini-movies, cultivating strong mental visuals to accompany the splendid musicality.

You'd have to say Americana is the closest type of genre that would describe Deb's material. Not quite flat-out rock but rather a blend of things that add up to one tasty brew. There is a back-roads vibe to some of the songs, kind of like a Tarantino movie and Deb has an interesting voice that sounds like a blend of Gwen Stefani and Tammy Wynette.

It all starts with "Blackbird" and the song is ushered in by a bouncy whistle that seems like it was plucked out of a Clint Eastwood western. The driving guitars will have your foot tapping in seconds and I was hooked by the time Deb declared defiance to a blackbird (metaphor for something else?), stating that "he don't know I got the fight in me" and "I ain't got no white flags flying around." Interesting.

"Great Mother" is a wonderful melody that one could imagine being sung around a campfire, while the title track is one of those terrific movie-type songs that I just have to play over and over. One of the standouts from the album is "Sinners", a dirty blues-fused rocker and Deb proves her mettle as a vocalist with a great performance. I love this song!

"Chippin' Away" is an ode to a battle with the demons of the bottle. Possibly my favourite track is "Salton Sea", a slinky mid-tempo rocker that has an amazing chorus which she delivers with gusto. The remainder of the songs are all worthy of inclusion, particularly the wistful "One More Thing" with a really earnest vocal.

The North Fork is truly an enjoyable record that I'll be playing for a long time.

Purchase this record here.

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