Courtesy Maren Morris
Singer-songwriter Maren Morris
Singer-songwriter Maren Morris has come a long way since her 2007 sophomore effort, All That It Takes. In the interim, she's graduated high school and headed up north, to Denton and the University of North Texas. Perhaps most importantly, her extremely appealing voice -- undeniably the very thing that hooks listeners and leaves 'em reeling -- has matured from its earlier breathiness, taking on intriguing depths, hints of vulnerability and a pleasing huskiness that finally makes her weary, wary songs feel every bit as lived in as she likely intends them. As in winemaking, achieving the desired effect occasionally just takes time.
Live Wire, produced by Morris with co-songwriter/guitarist Taylor Tatsch, is also a more forceful collection of songs than her previous two records, in that Morris isn't afraid to display her sharper edges, amid carefully sculpted tales of heartbreak. Good luck figuring out which genre to file this one under; Morris handles mid-tempo, alt-country ballads (album opener Born Again) as well as she does pop-rock kiss-offs (Nothing at All). No matter the approach, every track here is coated in a glossy, radio-ready sheen. That's not a knock by any stretch, but rather another example of how Morris is clearly positioning herself with 11 tunes willing and able to go into heavy rotation at a moment's notice.
By ably bridging a variety of styles and backed by a crack team of local musicians (Calhoun's Nolan Thies and Toby Pipes turn up, as does Brooklyn ex-pat Cooper Heffley), Morris moves confidently through Live Wire, confirming her status as one of the Lone Star State's most criminally overlooked talents.
The singer-songwriter will celebrate the release of Live Wire at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, opening for Fort Worth's Rabbits Got the Gun at 8.0 Restaurant and Bar downtown.
