The pulse of classic rock beats loudly in six-piece UK band Morganway. Driven by powerhouse vocals and Americana-inspired arrangements, the band’s latest album Kill the Silence lives up to its name sake with songs that sonically pierce the sky and flow with emotion.
The album begins with the anthemic opener “Don’t Turn the Lights on Yet”, an homage to the joy of playing music live that acts as a rallying cry. On second track “Boy on a Train”, the violin adds a folksy aura to the guitar pop that echoes classics by The Waterboys. And the vocal trade-off between the Callum Morgan and SJ Mortimer will appeal to any Fleetwood Mac fans out there (of which there are a lot). The tight rhythm section will have you shimmying and shaking.
The band gets bluesy on “Feels Like Letting Go”, with Mortimer really showcasing her range over a rollicking arrangement. The backing vocals from the rest of the band add a sheen of gospel that will make you want to stand up and clap your hands. Even fiercer is “Devil’s Canyon”, which dives deeper into the heavy territory that Led Zeppelin mined. And single “I Feel the Rain” will get you practically head-banging.
If there’s any criticism to be made, it’s that the change-up of styles and pacing across Kill the Silence can sometimes give you audible whiplash. Slow-burning, piano-led songs like “Edge of the Sun” (which could have been an Adele tune) and “Kill the Silence” (a moody torch-ballad) book-end bright, guitar-pop numbers like “Halfway Tonight”, creating an emotional rollercoaster. You may feel like you’re listening to an iPod on shuffle, jumping from upbeat classic rockers like “God Damn Time” to twinkling, downbeat ballads like “Surrender”. Thankfully the songwriting is on-point no matter what direction the band goes in.
“I feel like I’m finally getting somewhere. Seen where I’m heading, all the signs are there” Morgan sings with a well of hope towards the end of the album, backed by chanting backing vocals. I’d say the band has good reason to be hopeful, as an album this strong will definitely earn them new fans and fill seats as they tour through 2025.
Listen to Morganway‘s Kill the Silence in full on January 31st, and preview its pre-released tracks here!
The Indy Review 
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