Gurf Morlix has long been a respected figure in the Austin music scene. Beyond that, he is mostly known for his work with Blaze Foley, Lucinda Williams, and as a producer for names like Robert Earl Keen and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Whatever way you cut it, the guy is something of a legend at this point, regardless if you are familiar with his work. That being said, some of Gurf’s best work is as a solo artist. Maybe it’s his experience as a sideman and producer, but the fact is that the guy knows how to find top notch talent when he is recording, and he also writes a damn fine song. On February 3rd, 2017 Gurf Morlix will release his new studio album The Soul & The Heal, which finds him exercising his immense musical talent and also his talent as a lyricist and singer.
Today we are delighted to be offering up an exclusive listen of the leading track off The Soul & The Heal right here on Glide Magazine. The song brings to mind Tom Waits as well as Gurf’s fellow Austinite Jon Dee Graham in its rough-edged vocals, bluesy guitar and organ, and a sort of Wild West horse clop to add an eeriness to the whole deal. Maybe it’s the greasy, menacing slide guitar or the desire to reach even deeper, darker places at a time when it seems like all you can do is dig deeper.
Gurf puts it succinctly: “Holes. We’ve all encountered ’em, from time to time. They come in lots of sizes. Small ones. Or big ones. Sometimes you fall in, and you need someone to throw down a rope, or a ladder, to help you get out. And then sometimes you’ve dug the hole yourself. You want, or need, to be down there. You might not be ready to get out. Sometimes you just want to keep digging. Take some shelter, in the darkness. Hide in the shadows. Heal.”
LISTEN:
Gurf Morlix will release The Soul & The Heal on February 3, 2017. For more music and info visit gurfmorlix.com.
Photo: Lynne Hawrelko
