Kevin Morby has announced a new album: Little Wide Open arrives May 15 via Dead Oceans. The follow-up to 2022’s This Is a Photograph was produced by Aaron Dessner. It’s led by the breezy, radiant new single ‘Javelin’, which comes with a video starring Morby and comedian Caleb Hearon; there are also cameos by Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield and Tara Raghuveer. Check it out below.
Little Wide Open features contributions from Justin Vernon, Katie Gavin, Lucinda Williams, Mat Davidson, Meg Duffy, Oliver Hill, Rachel Baiman, Stuart Bogie, Tim and Andrew Barr, Benjamin Lanz, Colin Croom, and Tom Moth. “Little Wide Open is set to a backdrop of tangled highways, towns with populations less than 100,000, roadside crosses, a rock and roll romance, coupling butterflies, being an American entertainer, Econoline vans, and more,” Morby explained in a press release. “This is, without a doubt, the most personal and vulnerable album I’ve ever made. Aaron did a heroic job of holding me back from throwing too many tricks at the songs and letting my stories stand a bit naked. Despite its title this album is in fact, very wide open.”
One of the collaborators on ‘Javelin’ is Amelia Meath, of Sylvan Esso and Mountain Man. “This is a song I wrote about being in love with someone you keep circling around the globe, relentlessly traveling through the air and down highways, and then returning home alone to middle America,” Morby said. “[Amelia] shines here, with her incredible vocals. I had invited her into the studio and asked that she create a backing choir out of just her voice – but her presence is so special that her ‘backing vocals’ can’t help but take the lead.”
Little Wide Open Cover Artwork:
Little Wide Open Tracklist:
1. Badlands
2. Die Young
3. Javelin
4. All Sinners
5. Natural Disaster
6. 100,000
7. Little Wide Open
8. Cowtown
9. Bible Belt
10. I Ride Passenger
11. Junebug
12. Dandelion
13. Field Guide for the Butterflies
