HomeEF CountryMaren Morris – ‘Humble Quest’ review

Maren Morris – ‘Humble Quest’ review

Over the past few years the face of Country music has changed thanks to a crop of new stars blending a variety of musical styles with the genre. One of those at the forefront has been Maren Morris who released her critically acclaimed album ‘Hero’ in 2016. For 2019 follow-up ‘Girl’, Morris further pushed the boundaries incorporating pop, R&B and dance into the mix. That album helped her broaden her mainstream appeal but it did attract plenty of debate over what Country music is in the modern age. Following that album, you’d be forgiven for expecting Morris to continue pushing boundaries but new album ‘Humble Quest’ is the closest to pure Country the singer-songwriter has ever been.

I’m not going to lie, I’m not loving the title of the record. I can see where Morris is coming from as she’s spent the last couple of years being a voice for those who aren’t listened to in Nashville. She’s championed black female artists in a genre that seems to want to pretend they don’t exist, and her more recent releases such as ‘Better Than We Found It’ saw her switching her focus to social justice. To her fans she’s become a beacon of light they can rely on but for hr detractors, they’ve found plenty more fuel to add to their already burning fires.

Lead single ‘Circles Around This Town’ opens the record and it’s an autobiographical tale of Morris’ uphill battle to make a name for herself in Nashville. Closer to some of the songs on ‘Hero’ than anything that appeared on ‘Girl’, it’s not an instant hitter but it proves to be a slow grower the more you listen to it. It’s a fairly low-key way to open up the record and it’s far from the strongest moment on the record. In fact the album’s strongest moments come back-to-back on tracks two and three – ‘The Furthest Thing’ and ‘I Can’t Love You Anymore’. ‘The Furthest Thing’, one of the several co-writes with Morris’ husband Ryan Hurd who can be heard on backing vocals, strips away the big production and allows Morris’ voice to really be heard. ‘I Can’t Love You Anymore’ nods gently to Morris’ breakthrough smash ‘My Church’ and it seems a certainty for a single in the future.

After that double-whammy, the album becomes a little patchy. The title track is overly earnest as Morris takes stock of the journey she’s on and acknowledges that she’s still learning. It’s a noble message but for me, it doesn’t translate to a riveting song. Far better is ‘Nervous’written with Jimmy Robbins and Natalie Hemby, brings to mind early Michelle Branch thanks to its moody melody and rocking chorus. It’s one of the brightest spots in the album’s mid-section. ‘Hummingbird’ is another standout moment, a love song from Morris to her child that stays on the right side of saccharine.

Songs such as ‘Tall Guys’, an homage to Hurd, and ‘Good Friends’ are well-meaning enough but they are unlikely to have the impact that Morris has managed with her finest songs. The album comes to a close with ‘What Would This World Do?’, a piano-ballad that’s packed with emotion and makes you wish that she’d been a little more vulnerable across the rest of the record.

‘Humble Quest’ has plenty to offer and it’s a welcome departure from the heavier pop that Morris has experimented in. She has a classic Country voice and with Greg Kurstin on production, that shines through more than it was able to with the late busbee, who helmed the previous two records. ‘Humble Quest’ starts out strong but it suffers from being a little too samey in the second half. Perhaps it’ll come to life more when Morris gets to perform these songs live or maybe it’ll be a slower burn than her previous records.

Maren Morris - Humble Quest
Credit: Sony Music

Track list: 1. Circles Around This Town 2. The Furthest Thing 3. I Can’t Love You Anymore 4. Humble Quest 5. Background Music 6. Nervous 7. Tall Guys 8. Detour 9. Hummingbird 10. Good Friends 11. What Would This World Do? Record label: Sony Music Release date: 25th March 2022 Buy ‘Humble Quest’ now

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Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip Ellwood-Hughes
Pip is the owner and Editor of Entertainment Focus, and the Managing Director of Piñata Media. With over 19 years of journalism experience, Pip has interviewed some of the biggest stars in the entertainment world. He is also a qualified digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience.

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