John Morgan: ‘Carolina Blue’ – Debut Album Review
John Morgan shares his brand new debut album, Carolina Blue, out now on all streaming platforms. Listen to the new project here.
Singer-songwriter John Morgan is ready to step into the forefront as an artist with the release of his debut album, Carolina Blue, out now. For the rising star, who has amassed a multitude of top ten hits as a writer, his debut full-length project shows him on the verge of stardom.
Signed to Jason Aldean’s Night Train Records imprint through BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, Morgan’s debut features twelve new songs. He co-wrote the dozen tracks alongside Nashville hitmakers like Will Bundy, Tyler Hubbard, Tully Kennedy, Ben Hayslip and more. The Carolina native also played guitar on every song on the LP, which was produced by John and Brent Anderson.
Born and raised in the small town of Sylva, NC, Morgan grew up playing guitar and travelling with his family playing bluegrass music. He eventually transferred those skills to songwriting, making his way to Nashville in 2019 and immediately emerging as a powerful force in the community. “One of the blessings of being a songwriter first is that you write so many different things that your catalog becomes very broad. I’ve explored all kinds of sounds and in doing that it helped me eliminate what I’m not,” Morgan revealed in a statement.
Throughout the LP, Morgan stays true to his country roots, sliding effortlessly from rousing uptempo tunes to impassioned ballads, all with a unique lyrical style. “I try to hold a standard of making sure every line counts lyrically and then once you’ve got that you can be super creative on the sound part of it,” He says. “Hopefully that comes through in this album.”
The album roars in immediately with its opening track, “Way Out Would,” a muddy and twangy celebration of country living that pairs roaring electric guitars with twang before building to an energetic climax. Likewise, Morgan’s recent number one hit is the rousing “Friends Like That,” which pairs him with Aldean. On the bromance anthem, the pair trade verses about relying on good friends in tough times.
“I’m doing alright for the shape // I’m in Sitting by the fire with some damn good friends // Willie on my left, Jack on my right // Blowin’ that smoke on a Friday night // Waylon turned up on the JBL // Girl, you probably think I’m going through hell // But I don’t care if you never come back // ‘Cause who needs you when I got friends like that?”
“Crickets” provides a moment of levity, a bouncing summer anthem that’s perfect for barbecues and bonfires. “It’s a very catchy song,” he says of the playful track. “You’ve got to have some meatier songs with some strong messages, but you’ve also got to have something that’s fun, something that has a really solid lyric and storyline and that feels good.”
While Morgan can roar through an uptempo or a summer romp with the best of them, he truly shines on anthemic, building ballads. This includes the gorgeous “One More Sunset,” which finds him promising his last moments to someone special. Alternatively, “Kid Myself” finds him dealing with the fallout of a relationship that was never meant to last, while “She’ll Always Be” is a gorgeous sun-soaked heartbreak ballad about the one who got away.
Morgan is increasingly romantic on songs like the swoonworthy “A Lot To Say About You,” and the midtempo new perspective of “I Know Better.”
“Cause I know better days // Better nights A better way of living lost in your eyes // Up on cloud nine feeling things I thought I’d never // There ain’t no better smile // Ain’t no better kiss // Ain’t a memory I’ve made that compares to this // I thought the best part of my life was in the past forever But now that I know you I know better // Ooh baby, I know better”
Much of the Carolina native’s album finds him longing for home, evidenced on songs like the title track (“I’m doin’ fine, but tonight I’m kinda Carolina blue”), the soulful “Long Ride Home,” and “Without ‘Em,” a poignant celebration of the working class. “You won’t ever see their names in lights, Most people just pass’ em on by,” He sings of the people who make the world what it is. “Might not think too much about ‘em, but this world wouldn’t turn without ‘em.”
Carolina Blue ends with “How to Get Her,” a catchy uptempo that finds him musing about knowing how to get a girl, but not knowing how to get her back after a breakup. It’s clever turns of lyrics like that that elevate John Morgan’s music above the pack, while the song builds to a great instrumental section that’s perfect for a live show.
“I hope there’s relatability in how I write,” Morgan says of the album. “I don’t try to be anything I’m not. I’ve never been good at that, and I think people can snuff that out pretty quick. I hope these songs give people a message that there’s value in whatever they are doing. Hopefully, people will just feel their worth.”
Country Swag Picks:
- Long Ride Home
- Friends Like That
- I Know Better
- How to Get Her
- Crickets
Carolina Blue Tracklist:
- Way Out Would (John Morgan, Will Bundy, Randy Montana)
- Long Ride Home (John Morgan, Tully Kennedy, Kurt Allison, Lydia Vaughan)
- Friends Like That (feat. Jason Aldean) (John Morgan, Brent Anderson, Will Bundy, Lydia Vaughan)*
- One More Sunset (John Morgan, Will Bundy, Michael Dulaney)
- Know Better (John Morgan, Rocky Block, Will Bundy, Lydia Vaughan)
- She’ll Always Be (John Morgan, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Lydia Vaughan)
- Carolina Blue (John Morgan, Smith Ahnquist, Will Bundy, Jeb Gipson)
- Kid Myself (John Morgan, Tyler Hubbard, Jordan Schmidt)
- Crickets (John Morgan, Zach Abend, Lydia Vaughan)
- A Lot To Say About You (John Morgan, Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, John Edwards)
- Without ‘Em (John Morgan, Austin Goodloe, Ben Hayslip)
- How To Get Her (John Morgan, Brent Anderson, Will Bundy, Hunter Phelps)
John Morgan shares his debut album, ‘Carolina Blue,’ out now on all streaming platforms.
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Carolina Blue is available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.
