Transatlantic trio Morning Bride, with a common northern thread of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Massachusetts, have positioned themselves well to move their band forward by finally collating the eight concept linked tracks found here into a fully fledged album. The seven songs and sole instrumental have been lying a little low on the band's bandcamp page for a couple of years and now is the right time to give them a little nudge in the direction of folks who will love this style of darkish Americana.
This is the second 2021 album to at least have some grounding in the concept of the faded seaside town and proof that a little delve into the murky world of loss, nostalgia, revenge, grief and obsession can make great song writing material. However themes are only one part of the jigsaw as Morning Bride add the missing pieces by cleverly curating some meaningful songs and then beautifully delivering them with a sharp creative edge.
The vocals are led by the mesmerising presence of the American team member Amity Joy Dunn, whose voice leads and occasionally rotates with that of her two musical partners from this side of the pond - Mark Pearson and Pete Bennett. Together their talents fuse to guide you down a rabbit hole of threads all portrayed on a canvas adorned with a Beatles-esque left field brush.
The focal track sees the term goodbye removed from the title as 'Seaside Danny Wilde' is a narration of Yorkshire miner reminiscing about holidaying in bygone days. The person referenced in the song title was a well known entertainer from the East Yorkshire resort circuit who frequently soundtracked the narrators' experience of these memories.
Treating your listener to a stellar track up front is a canny move from Morning Bride and the revenge focussed death ballad 'The Storm Clouds' does this superbly with Dunn's vocals adding finesse to a top notch song. Also a decent way to depart the scene is in a phase of optimism and the band truly deliver this with the upbeat 'The Good Seed' jauntily spreading positive hope in the fulcrum that is the circle of life.
As good as the first track is, it is its successor 'Just Visiting' that illuminates the album with a spine tingling chorus pressing all the right buttons. One where Dunn's vocals are right on the spot. Its theme of loss is most pertinent in these troubled times. 'Dear Hazel' sees more of a vocal exchange but still leaving the chief vocalist in the driving seat. For a bit of nautical mythology, 'Leucothea Rising' is next off the rank and we did promise things getting a little deep literally.
Aside from the six-minute 'Reprise Danny Wilde' instrumental where the band experiment the sound a little to deviate slightly from what is generally a folky soundtrack, the remaining song is 'Apollo 13' . Here the writing focusses on obsession and peering out from a restricted existence. Sound familiar eh!
In packaging GOODBYE, DANNY WILDE for the wider world, Morning Bride are unveiling a horde of sunken treasure for all to enjoy. Whether you call this alt-folk, anglo Americana or any anything you like, it is quite simply a lovely blended body of work, both cleverly and curiously devised and presented. An album definitely worth spending some time with.
