Review Summary: Diet Kacey Musgraves
“Nondescript artists”. Initially popularized by a Youtuber who goes by the name Honest, the term is used to describe singer-songwriters who never quite capture the public’s attention because they lack a strong identity. They might have hits under their belts, but you’re never gonna remember their names; that’s why artists like Bebe Rexha, Emily Warren, and Emma Louise have never become breakout stars despite all having solid songwriting pedigrees. Not everyone gets to be mega-famous and, for better or worse, not everyone is good at playing the role of a superstar. The sheer amount of singers who appeared on huge EDM hits from the 2010s, only to be forgotten in a flash, is frankly mindblowing. The reason I bring all of this up is that Maren Morris faced a similar fate when she appeared on Zedd’s smash hit “The Middle”.
Remember how overplayed that song was? If you’re a pop fan or listen to the radio, you certainly should: it was one of the most ubiquitous tunes of 2018, dominating airwaves and grocery stores with its slick production and catchy vocals. But here’s another question: did anyone subsequently remember Maren Morris? The strange thing about “The Middle” is that, while it served as a breakthrough hit for Morris’ career, it’s not exactly indicative of her sound. She’s primarily a country artist, so hearing her sing over Zedd’s glossy dance-pop music was an interesting change of pace; this is especially true when you go back and listen to her earlier hits like “My Church” and “80s Mercedes”, which fit the country-pop formula quite nicely. But ever since “The Middle”, I haven’t heard much of her subsequent work in the wild - maybe “The Bones” or “Girl” were on the radio at some point, but they definitely slipped in one ear and out the other. The way Morris can switch between the country and pop styles like a chameleon has always cemented her as nondescript to me, especially when her vocals don’t sound very country-esque to begin with.
And so it continues with 2022’s
Humble Quest, a decent but forgettable country pop offering that finds Morris continuing her attempts at crossover appeal: soft acoustic guitars, pretty vocal harmonies, simple song arrangements, the works. The finished product comes off as a diet version of Kacey Musgraves, exhibiting a similar sound while lacking the vocal idiosyncrasies or sharp songwriting that made an album like
Golden Hour such a success. If there’s anything that makes
Humble Quest stand out, it’s ironically the quiet and subdued nature of its songs. That’s not to say the music is devoid of life, but the music is strangely introspective and muted compared to Morris’ previous efforts. I suppose it’s befitting of the album title, then; the lyrics take a similar turn, with Morris diving into more mature and complex topics such as postpartum depression and past issues with her personal life. Once in a while you’ll get a more exciting tune like the hard rock riffs of “Nervous” or the expressive belting of “I Can’t Love You Anymore”, but we’re still a long way from the energy of past songs such as “80s Mercedes”. The change of pace is quite respectable and - given Morris’ newfound motherhood and personal journey - very well-intentioned.
But, having said all of that, there’s just something
missing. While
Humble Quest doesn’t have any outright bad songs, it’s lacking a crucial spark or X factor to carry it over the finish line. Most of the tunes plod along at a similar pace, and while they sound nice, there’s not much substance to back them up. The record’s lead single, “Circles Around This Town”, is just your typical midtempo country pop-rocker, essentially treading the same ground that Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood paved a decade or two ago. Morris is bringing nothing new to the table, a fact that only becomes more evident over time: “Background Music” sounds like a discount version of Taylor Swift’s “Lover” (same waltz-like drumming and everything), “Detour” is just a boring adult contemporary tune with some slide guitar, and so on. Again, that’s not to say these are badly written or performed songs; rather, they’re simply not memorable enough. It’s unfortunate to hear these more reflective lyrics and solid performances being let down by flavorless songwriting, and it’s especially saddening because you can tell Morris put genuine
effort into this project.
All of this leads to a frustrating crossroads. It’s tempting to say Morris should just go all-out with her pop side and strictly make music in that genre, but she seems firmly committed to retaining her country roots. One can only hope that this balancing act of merging pop and country - if it continues on her next record - will at least have more varied and engaging songwriting; until then, we have
Humble Quest: a fine country pop album, but a nondescript one that doesn’t warrant much replayability.
