Andrew Morris - Union Bars (Album)

Union Bars, Andrew Morris’s latest release, is a melancholic fusion of dustbowl Australiana and inoffensive pop. An accomplished guitarist, Morris weaves his stripped back style into some sweet pop ditties as well as more alt-country sounding numbers. And all and all, Morris seems like a swell kinda guy….

So why do I just not care?

The Brisbane born singer-songwriter burst onto the scene in 2004 with his debut Little by Little and has since toured as a session guitarist for Bernard Fanning. There’s a cue for you- Morris sounds a bit like Fanning’s solo work but less slick. Or Paul Kelly back in the day. Actually, REM from 15 years ago also comes to mind, just not nearly as good.

So what do you say about middle of the road?

Here You Are, There You Go, the first track and single off the album is a sweet, catchy sort of thing with plenty of slide guitar. A song that’s good for a Sunday morning cup of tea. L.A. has an early Billy Joel quality, but with a lot less attitude. And it’s that little bit of attitude, that chunk of spunk that I found myself searching for.

Everybody Knows is a more interesting twist to the album, a song that borrows from Cat Stevens, has a sweet energy and clever nursery-rhyme style lyrics, but it does make me ask- what is the album trying to do exactly?

The outback is harsh and these songs are allegedly inspired by our landscape, so where is the grime? Where is the dirt? It is all a little too squeaky clean.

Recorded in rural Victoria, in an old General Store, Union Bars is like a long-winded yarn from an old codger- unfortunately it’s a story that just doesn’t go anywhere. Morris dances precariously near lethargic when its low-fi and the faster numbers just don’t seem to hit it. And this is not where you want to be irrespective of your musical persuasion.

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