Sundowner (album)

Sundowner
Studio album by
Kevin Morby
ReleasedOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
RecordedJanuary 2019[1]
StudioSonic Ranch[1]
Length46:41
LabelDead Oceans
ProducerBrad Cook
Kevin Morby chronology
Oh My God
(2019) 		Sundowner
(2020) 		This Is a Photograph
(2022)
Singles from Sundowner
  1. "Campfire"
    Released: September 1, 2020
  2. "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun"
    Released: September 23, 2020
  3. "Wander"
    Released: September 23, 2020
  4. "Sundowner"
    Released: October 7, 2020

Sundowner is the sixth studio album by American indie rock musician Kevin Morby, released on October 16, 2020, on Dead Oceans.[2][3][4][5]

Background

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Sundowner was written at Morby's home in Kansas where he lives with his partner Katie Crutchfield, and which they nicknamed 'The Little Los Angeles'.[1][6] The album was recorded in January 2019 with producer Brad Cook at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas.[1] In the meantime, Morby released his fifth studio album, Oh My God (2019), and went on tour in support of it. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Morby and Cook put the finishing touches on Sundowner from their respective homes.[7]

In an essay announcing the album, Morby described the album as his "attempt to put the Middle American twilight—its beauty profound, though not always immediate—into sound."[8]

Release

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Sundowner was announced on September 1, 2020.[9] The album's first single "Campfire", was released the same day.[10] "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun" and "Wander" were released as singles on September 23, 2020.[11] "Sundowner" was released as a single on October 7, 2020.[12] The album was released on October 16, 2020 via Dead Oceans.[13]

A Night at the Little Los Angeles

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On October 8, 2021, Morby released A Night at the Little Los Angeles, a collection of 4-track demo versions of the songs on Sundowner.[14] It features demos of all the songs except "Jamie", which is replaced with a demo version of Morby's standalone single "U.S. Mail".[15]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.1/10[16]
Metacritic73/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Clash7/10[19]
Exclaim!7/10[7]
Loud and Quiet8/10[20]
musicOMH[21]
Mojo[22]
NME[23]
Pitchfork7.2/10[24]
PopMatters[25]
Uncut7/10[26]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Sundowner received an average score of 73 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]

Fred Thomas of AllMusic wrote, "Its gentle melancholy and unhurried tempos slowly melt into a sustained atmosphere, offering some of Morby's gentlest and most captivating songs."[18] Ross Horton of musicOMH called it "Morby's Harvest Moon, his Nebraska, his Hejira – a statement of intent made in the quietest way possible."[21]

Year-end lists

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Year-end lists for Sundowner
Publication List Rank Ref.
NBHAP 50 Best Albums of 2020
49
[27]
Uncut The Top 75 Albums of the Year
27
[28]
Indie Basement (BrooklynVegan) Top 40 Albums of 2020
36
[29]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Kevin Morby

Sundowner track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Valley"4:04
2."Brother, Sister"4:37
3."Sundowner"5:09
4."Campfire"5:19
5."Wander"1:54
6."Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun"5:21
7."A Night at the Little Los Angeles"7:10
8."Jamie"4:11
9."Velvet Highway"3:20
10."Provisions"5:36
Total length:46:41

Personnel

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  • Kevin Morby – vocals, guitar, drums, piano, mellotron, pump organ, insert photo
  • Brad Cook – production, bass, keys, drum machine, backing vocals (track 2)
  • Katie Crutchfield – vocals (tracks 4, 6)
  • James Krivchenia – percussion, backing vocals (track 2)
  • Jerry Ordonez – mixing, engineering
  • Brent Lambert – mastering
  • Johnny Eastland – cover photo
  • Matt Lief Anderson – insert photo
  • Mike Krol – layout, design

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Sundowner (liner notes). Kevin Morby. Dead Oceans. 2020. DOC231.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Leas, Ryan (October 8, 2020). "Kevin Morby Conjured Sundowner Out Of New Love, Death, The Midwest, And A Tape Machine". Stereogum. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Rutledge, Chris (October 15, 2020). "Kevin Morby 'Sundowner' Finds Itself At Crossroads of Relevant, Reflective". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "Going Home With Kevin Morby". Aquarium Drunkard. October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  5. ^ Ross, Alex Robert (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby on the Midwestern romance behind Sundowner". The FADER. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  6. ^ Walker, Gary (December 3, 2020). "Kevin Morby rediscovers the joy of four-tracks on Sundowner". Guitar.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Owczarz, Matt (October 14, 2020). "Kevin Morby Finds Tenderness in Isolation on 'Sundowner'". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  8. ^ Terry, Josh (October 15, 2020). "3 Things That Influenced Kevin Morby's New LP 'Sundowner'". Noisey. Vice. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  9. ^ Martoccio, Angie (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Previews New LP With 'Campfire' Video Featuring Waxahatchee". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  10. ^ Turman, Katherine (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares New Single, 'Campfire,' From Upcoming Album". Spin. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  11. ^ Roberts, Christopher (September 23, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares New Songs "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun" and "Wander"". Under the Radar. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  12. ^ Rosenthal, Paris (October 7, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares Sundowner Title Track: Listen". Paste. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  13. ^ Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Announces New Album Sundowner, Shares New Video With Waxahatchee". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  14. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (August 18, 2021). "Kevin Morby Announces A Collection Of 'Sundowner' Demos, 'A Night At The Little Los Angeles'". Uproxx. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  15. ^ Watts, Peter (October 2021). "Kevin Morby - A Night At The Little Los Angeles". Uncut. No. 293. p. 29.
  16. ^ "Sundowner by Kevin Morby reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Sundowner by Kevin Morby Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "Sundowner – Kevin Morby". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  19. ^ Pywell, Matthew (October 12, 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Clash. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  20. ^ Crabtree, Isabel (October 12, 2020). "Kevin Morby - Sundowner - Album Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  21. ^ a b Horton, Ross (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". musicOMH. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  22. ^ Segal, Victoria (November 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Mojo. No. 324. p. 80.
  23. ^ Smith, Thomas (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby – 'Sundowner' review: intimate, lo-fi musings on love and isolation". NME. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  24. ^ Kemp, Sophie (October 19, 2020). "Kevin Morby: Sundowner Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  25. ^ Kearney, Kevin (October 23, 2020). "Kevin Morby Gets Back to Basics on 'Sundowner'". PopMatters. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  26. ^ Staunton, Terry (November 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Uncut. No. 282. p. 33.
  27. ^ "NBHAP's 50 Best Albums Of 2020". Nothing but Hope and Passion. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  28. ^ "The Top 75 Albums Of The Year". Uncut. No. 284. January 2021. p. 76.
  29. ^ "Indie Basement: Top 40 Albums of 2020". BrooklynVegan. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
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