[rating=8.00]
Known primarily as a reliable session hand heralded for both his guitar playing and his behind the boards prowess, Gurf Morlix is also a seasoned solo artist whose no-nonsense approach has made him one of Austin’s most reliable practitioners. The Soul & The Heal is a fine example of that signature sound, a tattered series of ten songs that finds Gurf expressing his well-worn sentiments. By the second song in the set, “Love Remains Unbroken,” he’s established the basic premise for the record and a larger mantra as well:
“The prophets said it
The poets said it
The preachers said it
The philosophers said it
It’s in all the great art
It’s is in everyone’s heart
It’s in every great thought awoken
True love remains unbroken promise ever spoken.”
Granted, Gurf can be gruff, and on tracks like “Bad Things” and “Deeper Down,” his dark delivery creates the impression he’s a troubled troubadour still sowing the dark underbelly of a life best lamented. Yet, that dusty stance only adds to his credence and credibility, his frayed view of the world being the perfect accouterment for an intrepid guitar-slinger like himself. There’s little here in the way of sweetening, but the gritty happenstance is all the more reason to appreciate his tack. Indeed, on songs such as “Cold Here Too, “I’m Bruised, I’m Bleedin’ and “My Chainsaw,” Morlix is unabashedly honest about the less than ideal circumstances in which many of us find ourselves. And yet, he soldiers on — rugged, defiant, and always unbowed.
Given his service to Lucinda Williams, Mary Gauthier, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Slaid Cleaves among the many, Morlix could easily be considered the equivalent of an MVP; after all, his ability to multitask on guitar, bass, drums, banjo, harmonica, dobro, pedal steel and mandolin has made him an invaluable part of many an artist’s instrumental arsenal. Given that Morlix is rarely prone to show any great degree of exuberance or exhilaration, one has to wonder why his work is so consistently downtrodden. No worry though; as The Soul & The Heal obviously indicates, he’s working through his tribulations just like the rest of us, providing some prudent philosophy along the way. Listen to the songs “Move Someone” and “The Best We Can” as examples of understated optimism. Then enjoy the music that serves as the soundtrack.
