Since John Moreland released his sixth album Birds in the Ceiling (2022), many fans of the singer-songwriter have been divided about his use of electronic sounds. While many of us came to love his acoustic backed vocals on previous albums, the new album initially seems like a departure from his signature sound, adding in layers of drum machines, sampling, and mellotron. But after a few listens, the sound begins to wash over you and you accept Moreland’s challenge to give his musical exploration a chance. Of course, the Oklahoma singer-songwriter with a great voice still writes beautiful lyrics and the acoustic guitar remains in the mix. But the overall atmospheric music on this album wins you over too.
One may wonder how much the sounds and lyrics of the album are affected by the experiences we have been through with the pandemic and the political world. The sound of the album, written for the most part in July 2021 and produced with Matt Pence, is the music of isolation. And in the lyrics to the the songs on Birds in the Ceiling, Moreland explores themes of alienation, identities, dreams, illusions, and the search for meaning.
And how can we not be affected after staring death in the face? The album ends with the title track, which finishes with the line, “Death alone is certain, but life is a beautiful question.” Similarly, on “Claim Your Prize,” he reminds us, “No one makes it out alive.”
“Does it even matter?
Does it ever last?
I didn’t want the answer to the question that I asked;
Can I kill a monster?
Can I be a man?
I can’t afford to give a damn if you don’t understand.” — “Ugly Faces”
It’s heavy stuff, and maybe because of the ethereal nature of the questions and the seeking, Moreland decided there needed to be sounds beyond the physical acoustic instruments we might expect. The electronics give the album an otherworldly atmosphere that more appropriately accompanies the journey where Moreland is taking us. After all, the point of music is to express and understand things that we cannot convey in mere words.
And here, Moreland has explained that he wanted to throw off the constraints of being identified as a certain type of artist. Instead, he wanted to be free to embrace any music that he likes, even if that includes some 90’s pop influences like Sarah McLachlan and Sheryl Crow.
Moreland has reflected on how the recent elections also have affected his views. Living in Oklahoma, he has had to contend with watching a large number of people who taught him right from wrong seemingly no longer having their bearings on what matters. And while it is discouraging to “be exposed to the sort of aggressive hostility that is out there,” he declares he is glad he does not live in a bubble and gets to see the humanity in everyone.
January eyes fixed on iridescent lies;
Truth be told, it’s no surprise;
The saints came self-appointed, said they were anointed,
And time is just a faded sign;
The world was always ending, it was good in the beginning;
But I don’t know how far this goes;
Saw you standin’ in a pose, wearin’ someone else’s clothes;
I don’t know how far this goes. — “Truth Be Told”
As noted above, like the country at large, some are divided about Birds in the Ceiling, with, for example Chuck Armstrong at Saving Country Music concluding “this album was an overstep, and dramatically so.” But I’m happy to walk in the footsteps of the pilgrimage wherever Moreland wants to take me.
If you have liked Moreland’s albums in the past and come to this one with certain expectations, give these songs more than one listen to let your expectations drift away. Moreland experimented with some different sounds on his 2020 album LP5, though we are far from the acoustic-driven High on Tulsa Heat (2015). But all of us have been through a lot since then, and we are lucky to have Moreland on the ride with us, trying to figure everything out — or to at least have some company from a friend who understands.
This album is us in 2022.
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