Morton makes solid but not great album

Athens-based Ken Will Morton is an artist out of his era, having more similarity to Bruce Springsteen or James Taylor than any rock or country music artist today. He has been playing music longer than some pop acts have been alive. Rather than choosing the glitz and theatrics of modern rock groups, his musical presence is simple and he lets the music speak for itself. This experience that he has gained touring and recording has crafted a skilled singer-songwriter with a unique sound.

After playing bass with The Groundhogs all around the northeast, Morton left his hometown of Hartford and relocated to Atlanta in 1993, where he formed the band Wonderlust. The band was a pop-punk trio that enjoyed some success, including a stint on the Vans Warped Tour. However, as he continued to grow as a songwriter, Morton quit the band, seeking a quieter sound to match his writing style.

By 2001 he had joined The Indicators, a pop-rock group, and in 2002 he played lead guitar on a few shows with The Redeemers. Despite The Indicators’ success in 2003 with their sophomore album, Kill the Messenger, Morton left the band three years after he joined and moved to Athens. There he completed his first solo album, In Rock ‘n’ Roll’s Hands, which was released in June 2004.

Now, after 15 years of playing guitar and 10 years of songwriting, he is set to release his second solo attempt, The King of Coming Around, on March 14. The album is coming out on Fundamental Records, a label which has supported the likes of Drowning Pool and Henry Rollins. On the record, Morton’s unique blend of rock, blues and country and folksy lyrical style easily set him apart from the bulk of emerging artists today.

His sound begs comparison to other contemporary folk artists like Shawn Mullins and Trevor Burgess. However, unlike Mullins and other such acts, Morton’s is a much happier, peppier sound, even when the songs have less than happy subject matter.

This is the case with “Beautiful Moment,” where the song structure and guitar style are similar to an upbeat `60s or `70s country song. If you weren’t listening carefully to the lyrics, you could mistake this for a love song. But Morton crushes all illusions of romance when he repeats, “You always knew how to ruin a beautiful moment.” Other songs follow this pattern, like the strongly titled “True Love is a Sickness.”

If Morton has one weak point, it’s his voice. Although he has the weathered, gruff inflection that you would expect from someone singing this style of music, it is less the rich, deep tone of Johnny Cash and more the high-pitched whine of Sister Hazel’s Ken Block. Initially, this makes the record rather displeasing. However, once you become accustomed to it, the record is much easier to appreciate.

One track where his vocals sound particularly good is the song “Oh Lord.” The pounding bass drum and classic rhythms make this one of the better songs on the album. It sounds at once classic and innovative, making it difficult to determine when the song came from.

The biggest obstacle in Morton’s way is the lack of interest in new rock-based folk artists. There are few radio formats friendly to this style of music, and this album is not going to make Ken Will Morton a household name. I would much sooner go buy The Legend of Johnny Cash if I was in the mood for this type of music.

But King of Coming Around is a strong second album and Morton is a talented, seasoned musician in a sadly underappreciated genre. He will surely continue touring like he has for the last 15 years, and I think he’s alright with that.