Ken Will Morton “True Grit” (Sojourn, 2010)

Classic Americana that keeps and restores the faith

Ken Will Morton opens his account with the driving title track, a hymning of those who have, indeed, true grit. It’s a fine slice of rootsy Americana which he follows up with “Gamblin’ Man’s Blues,” a frankly ridiculously hooky more of the same. It’s a standard many would struggle to sustain across a dozen tracks but Morton does, and then some. His vocals have something of Steve Earle’s nasal resignation, his songs something of early Ryan Adams and his tunes something of the effortless country rock of the Seventies, only with rather more balls. Classic guitar solos, mourning and regret, all the classic themes are here but in Morton’s hands they sound fresh and vigorous, not tired and hackneyed.

There’s nothing desperately original or genre-defining here. What there is is the sort of Americana that gives you hope that, after listening to a million bands play a million Neil/Gram/Steve licks and songs that there is still something about the form that, in the right hands, can excite and inspire. Morton has those hands: listen, be reborn and remember why you liked this music in the first place.

Date review added:  Thursday, May 13, 2010
Reviewer:  Jeremy Searle
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link:  Artist website