Album Review – Cahalen Morrison’s “Wealth of Sorrow”
Those who know, know. Those who don’t should work to remedy that, and post haste. We’re talking about whether your musical universe includes any knowledge of New Mexico native Cahalen Morrison, or not. From his six year musical partnership with Eli West, to his solo works, or his recent residency in the supergroup Western Centuries, he is country music’s woefully overlooked, tremendously humble, but highly regarded underground songwriter and performer extraordinaire who can woo most any audience with an appeal for roots music, whether it’s kicking out honky tonk, picking old-time, or writing and rendering his own original material which can veer between both fluently.
If you’re searching for a good excuse of why you should allow Cahalen Morrison to intercede in your busy listening schedule, simply pipe up his newly released solo record, Wealth of Sorrow, recorded in an old adobe chapel in April of last year in the remote village of Jaroso near the Colorado/New Mexico border. Prepare to be stunned from the opening song on, where Cahalen starts out performing a capella on an original composition called “This Whole Broken World,” dispelling any notion that you need a collaboration of instruments and fancy production to capture audio magic.
The wide public has been left weary from the amount of acoustic albums and cover records released by restless and cash-strapped musicians in recent months, and for fair reasons. But that’s not how Wealth of Sorrow should be regarded. Instead imagine Ralph Peer or John Lomax foraging through the hills and hollers of Appalachia and the American West, ferreting out the rich musical wonders lurking in the forgotten corners of the rural world, hiding among the meek and poor. This is what you feel you’ve uncovered when you hear this record—primitive, raw, and real, with nothing shielding you from the naked emotion and wisdom imparted in these songs.
Where most songs and performers must conceal their shortcomings in layers of music and mixing, Cahalen Morrison strips it all back to expose the expanse and character of his voice, and the depth of his insight. He turns in three a capella songs before the expiration of Wealth of Sorrow, and you finish wishing there were more. But he also brings banjo and guitar to certain tracks, keeping the approach very simple, even if his finger work is fleet and voice expressive enough to make the experience feel symphonic, with a mic in the middle of the room and a wood stove burning in the distance, sometimes with the crackle of the embers coming through in the mix.
But the real wealth of this record may not be in the noise it makes, but the words it conveys. You keep checking the liner notes, not entirely confident this is all original material from just one man. But aside from the final song—the traditional folk tune “Young Jamie Foyers”—they all spring from the pen of Cahalen. Hell you don’t even need the audio at all. Most selections of Wealth of Sorrow are rich enough to read as poetry.
Pay special attention to the title track, and little lines here and there, like “You can’t change the future by looking back,” which comes imploring through in “Where The Bluebird Sings,” or “My mother left by illness, my father by triggered gun…” in the haunting “Dark and Dreary.” Lyrics for Wealth of Sorrow are available on Bandcamp where this record was released exclusively, and are worthy of referencing. Later, Chahalen turns a bit biblical, as he’s known to do, with Noah’s flood narrative back dropping “All Over Babylon.”
There are many searching for the right words to define these moments we’re living in, sometimes coming across as too literal, or too trite while straining to be poignant. The truth is what reverberates now in the hearts of listeners is what always has. It’s just if you say it right, it can reverberate even more with the weight hanging in the air in these heavy moments. That’s what allows Wealth of Sorrow to score so deep, if you allow it to, and if you stop down and listen.
As fun as Western Centuries continues to be—and hopefully returns to the road in full force once it’s safe—listening to Wealth of Sorrow once again emphatically underscores what a one-of-a-kind talent Cahalen Morrison is all his own. Combining him with Ethan Lawton and Jim Miller truly makes Western Centuries a supergroup. But Cahalen Morrison doesn’t even really need any accompaniment, or even music to make a major impact. He proves that on Wealth of Sorrow.
9/10
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Wealth of Sorrow is available exclusively on Bandcamp .
Paddy
September 6, 2020 @ 9:00 am
Amen to all that. He is woefully ignored as an artist. Well said.
Jake Cutter
September 6, 2020 @ 9:10 am
Recorded in a day and a half, released in a year and a half.
Sounds great. He’s a good songwriter, and I like his playing a lot.
Klaus
September 6, 2020 @ 9:29 am
Wow. Thanks for introducing me to this album. Might become my album of the year.
John R Baker
September 6, 2020 @ 10:50 am
Holy crap this is good. This is why I follow this site. Thank you.
albert
September 6, 2020 @ 12:20 pm
OMG …I’ve just been to Sunday service .
Di Harris
September 6, 2020 @ 6:18 pm
Beautiful article Trig.
Thank you.
Cahalen & Eli.
On God’s Rocky Shore.
David Youngblood
September 6, 2020 @ 9:08 pm
This is the magic that makes things okay.
Tonight, I’m okay.
Eric
September 6, 2020 @ 11:08 pm
Interesting concept for an album, though I have mixed feelings about the result. I will just say that his voice sounds far more Appalachian than New Mexican or even Texan, which is quite surprising considering his roots.
Erez
September 7, 2020 @ 3:49 am
“The wide public has been left weary from the amount of acoustic albums and cover records released by restless and cash-strapped musicians in recent months, and for fair reasons”
I would second that notion, especially seeing how music critics try to excuse these endeavors (“it’s not a covers album, it’s a journey through a foreign musical land” etc.). In the world of Country music, it’s really not an issue. Country past and present is still a performer genre, whereas rock, is a writer genre. While its obviously an individual thing, some focus more on writing their own songs while other either mix or simply eschew writing altogether, on the overall it’s still less of an issue, and therefore less jarring when done.
OlaR
September 7, 2020 @ 4:13 am
Great songs & lyrics.
But…i’m not a fan of “live” albums (well…with one or two exceptions to the rule like the new Amber Lawrence album) & songs recorded in living rooms, churches or in a garage.
The other not-so-good point: selling the album only on Bandcamp.
The albums i listen to in the moment:
Casper McWade – Unraveled (Cody Jinks is featured on “Don’t Follow”)
Gareth Leach – Trigger (damn close to become my AotY)
Jake Cutter
September 7, 2020 @ 8:35 am
You prefer computer chopped up and pieced together music – to live takes?
OlaR
September 7, 2020 @ 9:33 am
AArrgghh…good god…i prefer clear & clean cuts…no screaming “fans”, no 10 min. long guitar solos, no jokes, no stories, no fake “live” albums with autotune (George Strait…) & protools.
Jake Cutter
September 7, 2020 @ 9:49 am
Good god? I’m just trying to figure out what you’re talking about in your original comment, and now what screaming fans and 10 minute guitar solos have to do with this article and this album, but now I’m even more confused. Maybe I misread something.
OlaR
September 7, 2020 @ 10:43 am
You do.
I try it again…i like the songs of Cahalen Morrison.
But the recording/production in an “old adobe chapel” is not up to the quality of the music.
It’s not studio quality & i prefer studio quality over “old adobe chapel” recordings or “live” albums.
Jake Cutter
September 7, 2020 @ 11:26 am
You’re talking about the ambiance of the recording environment and the decision not to overproduce it, and calling that “live.” Got it now. 👍
Paul
September 7, 2020 @ 5:09 am
I like it. His unaccompanied singing reminds me of the sean-nós traditional irish style in places (though not in irish). Makes sense I guess considering the irish connection to bluegrass music
Nate
September 8, 2020 @ 9:40 am
I agree. I immediately felt the historic connection with Irish and British folk music though I only have a bit of background with those genres
Blackh4t
September 7, 2020 @ 1:44 pm
This is great. Reminds me a lot of early Doc Watson.
Possibly a bit more upbeat would be nice, but its great.
Also, like the Bandcamp release. Screw streaming.
Endo
September 7, 2020 @ 4:25 pm
Cahalan is brilliant. I agree that his sound is more Appalachia than Texas, or even Nashville. His technical proficiency, rich meaningful lyrics and complex melodies are what make him great. Unfortunately, these are all the same things that make his music inaccessible to radio listeners.
albert
September 8, 2020 @ 8:16 am
while you make a point , endo , I might argue that if more of this kind of music was show the light of day by radio it WOULD find a following . no …not the luke bryan crowd, perhaps , but I believe it would resonate with more hearts than we might think . this is the definition of SAVING COUNTRY MUS IC , I think . real never goes out of style .
Brandon
September 7, 2020 @ 5:53 pm
God this album is boring. There’s simply nothing redeeming about it. Nothing poetic. Nothing interesting. The lyrics are just as trite as the latest pop radio horseshit. People seem to conflate lo-fi with authenticity. It’s not authentic it’s cheap. I hate this trend of music sounding like it was recorded in the 1930’s. It’s not innovative. It’s dumb. Stop trying to sound like an era you didn’t belong to.
Peter
September 8, 2020 @ 6:34 am
God your response is boring. There’s nothing interesting about it. It’s just opinionated and entitled horseshit. People seem to conflate professional reviews with their own narrow-minded opinions. I hate this trend of sharing everything, even if it’s rude as fuck. It’s not your place. It’s dumb. Stop trying to sound like a music reviewer and get your own career.
Brandon
September 8, 2020 @ 7:49 am
You’re not the aribiter of anything. This is an open forum and I can say whatever I want within reason. I can interpret music any way I damn well please. And funny you should say I should get my own career… I have one. I’m a musician and a songwriter. So kindly fuck off.
albert
September 8, 2020 @ 8:07 am
while I appreciate your thoughts , brandon , and respect your opinion , there IS a je ne sais quois about a unique artist which usually stems from SOUL . this artist has a soulful spirit and THIS is the uniqueness missing from just about all new music no matter the genre . you CAN hear it …..but mostly you feel it . as a writer myself I would suggest that its the ‘soul radar’ many of us neglect to consider when listening to artists who may not fit a traditional bill . soul often transcends even the best- crafted lyric and/or melody . soul resonates beyond words, logic , craft or production . and this artist has it , IMHO.
Brandon
September 8, 2020 @ 8:20 am
Totally agree that he has soul. No question about that. And I don’t doubt his sincerity. He’s coming from a real place. My issue is with the execution. I would disagree about the claim that “soul” transcends lyric and melody at least for me. In my opinion the melody is what catches your ear the first time and the lyrics bring you back over and over again. Without that the soul aspect wears pretty thin after a few listens.
albert
September 8, 2020 @ 8:58 am
”In my opinion the melody is what catches your ear the first time and the lyrics bring you back over and over again. ”
spoken like a songwriter , brandon.
after writing for many many years , it started to become clear to me that I’d gotten better as a songwriter but needed some work as simply a song-LISTENER. listening with my gut and not my brain helped me resolve some of that dichotomy and , for me , resulted in improved writing .
I was ‘out-witting ‘ myself til I re-learned how to listen emotionally the way I did before becoming a writer.
writers eh ? I practically re-write songs as I hear them on the radio . then I stop myself and ask ” am I feeling it ” ?
Bob
September 8, 2020 @ 9:42 am
How many albums do you have? Songs written for other people? If you are half as talented as CM you should have one or two.
Brandon
September 8, 2020 @ 10:28 am
If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it does it still make a sound? Likewise if an album never gets sold does it still make a difference? I know we all like to believe that music is art but remember it still has a price tag. It’s a consumable product and if it doesn’t sell then it has no effect on culture regardless of how good the purists think it is. History, for better or worse, dictates the quality of art. This album is nothing more than a brief curiosity. No one will remember it in six months. If this guy has a Nick Drake moment in thirty years I’ll reconsider. Deal?
Bob
September 9, 2020 @ 8:59 am
So whats your point? Do you really think CM thought this was going to be a platinum selling record that’s going to change the course of musical history? Or a recording of him sitting in a New Mexican chapel singing and playing? The quality of his work is dictated by his talent. Nothing else. And I will pay 10 bucks to help support somebody who took the time to do that.
Post up you Band Camp page and let us hear what you have.
Di Harris
September 8, 2020 @ 10:44 am
“History, for better or worse, dictates the quality of art.”
Untrue.
An artist dictates the quality of the art.
The artist, and the composition.
Brandon
September 8, 2020 @ 11:08 am
If that’s true why do you have a vested interest in a website maintained by someone who literally rates music (none of which he created) on a scale of 1 to 10? By even having a preference for a given type of music you’re defaulting to the position that some of it must be better than others.
Di Harris
September 8, 2020 @ 11:17 am
“If that’s true why do you have a vested interest in a website maintained by someone who literally rates music (none of which he created) on a scale of 1 to 10? By even having a preference for a given type of music you’re defaulting to the position that some of it must be better than others.”
Oh, i totally agree Brandon.
Some music is better than other music.
If we didn’t have the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Louvre, etc., a lot of people would not have the exposure to vast forms of artwork.
Jake Cutter
September 8, 2020 @ 9:07 am
Two of the dominant characteristics of music recorded in the 30s are a honky mid-range because of the lack of full frequency response (both high end and low end), and a lot of added surface noise due to the mechanical recording medium. There are people that add those things, but they don’t seems to have done that here. Which of them are you hearing? If you’re referring to the ambiance…that has nothing to do with the 30s. Recording styles in terms of ambiance have gone back and forth about every decade or so, from the beginning.
I’m kind of curious what kind of innovation you would like to hear in a recording of a guy singing a cappella or with one accompanying, acoustic instrument. If you’re looking for innovation to own the luddites, may I direct you to Sam Hunt and Kane Brown?
Benny Lee
September 7, 2020 @ 8:44 pm
Kind of feels like a Blaze Foley album for 2020.
Wasn’t sure what to think of it at first, but by the end of the first listen through I was hooked.
Fantastic performance in a naturally ambient setting, and the simple production stays out of the way.
kapam
September 7, 2020 @ 10:33 pm
I’m a huge fan of Western Centuries and there is no doubting that CM’s contributions to the group are massive part of it. However, the stripped-back approach of this solo album isn’t really my cup of tea. It’s the band setting that really does it for me.
Montana
September 8, 2020 @ 12:47 am
Good one, will buy it on the next Bandcamp Friday.
Thanks for the review!
Josh
September 9, 2020 @ 8:14 am
Mr. Trigger, just a heads up that the Western Centuries tag is misspelled. No need to publish this comment. Thanks for your labors.
John Kearns
September 10, 2020 @ 8:36 am
I just couldn’t agree more. I’ve had this on continuous loop since buying it. It has a quality rarely heard. Rather than say it competes with, I’ll say it’s the perfect compliment to Amos Lee’s ‘Mission Bell’ .
alex
September 14, 2020 @ 6:18 am
this album is a show-stopper. whoaaaaaaa