Morgan Evans ‘Steel Town’ – Album Review

Morgan Evans new album, Steel Town is out now, March 20th on all streaming platforms. Take a listen and read our full review below.

Nearly seven years since the release of his debut album, 2018’s Things That We Drink To, Morgan Evans is back with his sophomore album, Steel Town. Inspired by the coastal Australian town where he grew up, the album is the result of years of reflection, introspection, and growth.

The result is a buoyant, sonically-rich collection that doubles as both a celebration of life and a reclamation of freedom for an artist who has weathered intense public scrutiny. Throughout its eleven tracks, Evans sounds like a weight has been lifted from him, truly free for the first time.

Evans co-wrote every track on the record, enlisting collaborators like William Barton and Laci Kaye Booth for two of its standout moments. Barton, a fellow Australian, brings a striking sense of atmosphere to “Back to Country,” a gorgeously understated instrumental interlude that feels like a deep exhale, offering a simple moment of stillness before moving forward.

Booth, meanwhile, lends her honeyed vocals to “Two Broken Hearts,” a soulful, aching ballad about two people finding comfort in each other while knowing it won’t last. Originally written as a solo, the track takes on new emotional depth as a duet. “This song still hits me like the day I wrote it,” Evans shared. “It wasn’t written as a duet, but Lace’s voice took it somewhere I couldn’t have imagined on my own.”

“Two broken hearts find their way to each other // Feeling their way through the dark // Two broken hearts healing under the covers // To keep ’em from falling apart // Sometimes, where it ends is where love starts again// But we both know that ain’t where we are.”

Much of Steel Town takes listeners to the coastal Australian town in which Evans grew up. There’s the jubilant title cut, as well as “Land I Love,” an anthemic celebration of home. “Growing up round Newy, as a kid, and a musician, it was a beautiful place, but also a tough place, that built a character and resilience that I’ve taken with me around the world,” he shares. “Now, having been in Nashville for 10 years, I have an even greater love and respect for the place that raised me and welcomed me home when I needed it the most. On this album, I’ve finally found that balance of pride and earnest that I can share and sing with complete authenticity.”

“I had to get out of town,” Evans continues. “I needed something real. Old mates, familiar places, and salt water. I reconnected with where I came from, who I was, who I want to be.”

That longing for simplicity comes through on “Beer Back Home,” a feel-good, singalong ode to small-town comfort, while “Another Drink Coming” leans into ragtime-tinged piano and barroom storytelling. Together, they capture the warmth and familiarity of places where time seems to slow down.

“She Talks About Texas” and “The Farm” find him celebrating a different type of home: one that’s found in a person and not a place. On the mid-tempo “Texas,” he spins the clever lyrical analogy, declaring, “I talk about her, the way she talks about Texas,” while “The Farm” is a declaration of optimism in a new relationship. On the tender and melodic country two-step, he muses, “I’d bet the farm on us.”

He steps most clearly outside of his comfort zone on “Letting You Go,” an airy pop-rock track that sounds fresh out of the early 2000’s, in the best way possible. Here, he stretches himself vocally, reaching new highs as he harmonizes with a gang vocal of background singers.

“Forgiving You For Me” delivers an especially poignant moment, finding him letting go and forgiving someone in order to move forward. “I guess I’ll learn to let it go, free this poison from my soul” He sings, his voice laced with emotion. “If this is how it’s gonna be, I’m forgiving you for me.”

The album ends with the gorgeously poignant “Settle It Down,” an introspective ballad about finding the person that makes you want to settle down. It’s a confessional, piano-driven ballad about a rambling man ready to stop “running this wild horse heart right into the ground.” It’s the perfect final chapter of Steel Town, forward looking and optimistic for the next chapter while closing another.

On Steel Town, Morgan Evans is at his finest. The collection pairs jubilant melodies and brilliant lyricism, setting Evans free. It’s not just a reflection on where he’s been, but a confident step toward where he’s headed next.

Steel Town Track List: