Sundowner (album)

Sundowner is the sixth studio album by American indie rock musician Kevin Morby, released on October 16, 2020, on Dead Oceans.[2][3][4][5]

Sundowner
Studio album by
Kevin Morby
ReleasedOctober 16, 2020 (2020-10-16)
RecordedJanuary 2019[1]
StudioSonic Ranch[1]
Length46:41
LabelDead Oceans
ProducerBrad Cook
Kevin Morby chronology
Oh My God
(2019)		 Sundowner
(2020)		 This Is a Photograph
(2022)
Singles from Sundowner
  1. "Campfire"
    Released: September 1, 2020
  2. "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun"
    Released: September 23, 2020
  3. "Wander"
    Released: September 23, 2020
  4. "Sundowner"
    Released: October 7, 2020

Background

Sundowner was written at Morby's home in Kansas where he lives with his partner Katie Crutchfield, and which they nicknamed 'The Little Los Angeles'.[1][6] The album was recorded in January 2019 with producer Brad Cook at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas.[1] In the meantime, Morby released his fifth studio album, Oh My God (2019), and went on tour in support of it. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Morby and Cook put the finishing touches on Sundowner from their respective homes.[7]

In an essay announcing the album, Morby described the album as his "attempt to put the Middle American twilight—its beauty profound, though not always immediate—into sound."[8]

Release

Sundowner was announced on September 1, 2020.[9] The album's first single "Campfire", was released the same day.[10] "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun" and "Wander" were released as singles on September 23, 2020.[11] "Sundowner" was released as a single on October 7, 2020.[12] The album was released on October 16, 2020 via Dead Oceans.[13]

A Night at the Little Los Angeles

On October 8, 2021, Morby released A Night at the Little Los Angeles, a collection of 4-track demo versions of the songs on Sundowner.[14] It features demos of all the songs except "Jamie", which is replaced with a demo version of Morby's standalone single "U.S. Mail".[15]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.1/10[16]
Metacritic73/100[17]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[18]
Clash7/10[19]
Exclaim!7/10[7]
Loud and Quiet8/10[20]
musicOMH[21]
Mojo[22]
NME[23]
Pitchfork7.2/10[24]
PopMatters[25]
Uncut7/10[26]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, Sundowner received an average score of 73 based on 12 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[17]

Fred Thomas of AllMusic wrote, "Its gentle melancholy and unhurried tempos slowly melt into a sustained atmosphere, offering some of Morby's gentlest and most captivating songs."[18] Ross Horton of musicOMH called it "Morby's Harvest Moon, his Nebraska, his Hejira – a statement of intent made in the quietest way possible."[21]

Year-end lists
Year-end lists for Sundowner
Publication List Rank Ref.
NBHAP 50 Best Albums of 2020
49
[27]
Uncut The Top 75 Albums of the Year
27
[28]
Indie Basement (BrooklynVegan) Top 40 Albums of 2020
36
[29]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Kevin Morby

Sundowner track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Valley"4:04
2."Brother, Sister"4:37
3."Sundowner"5:09
4."Campfire"5:19
5."Wander"1:54
6."Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun"5:21
7."A Night at the Little Los Angeles"7:10
8."Jamie"4:11
9."Velvet Highway"3:20
10."Provisions"5:36
Total length:46:41

Personnel
  • Kevin Morby – vocals, guitar, drums, piano, mellotron, pump organ, insert photo
  • Brad Cook – production, bass, keys, drum machine, backing vocals (track 2)
  • Katie Crutchfield – vocals (tracks 4, 6)
  • James Krivchenia – percussion, backing vocals (track 2)
  • Jerry Ordonez – mixing, engineering
  • Brent Lambert – mastering
  • Johnny Eastland – cover photo
  • Matt Lief Anderson – insert photo
  • Mike Krol – layout, design

References
  1. Sundowner (liner notes). Kevin Morby. Dead Oceans. 2020. DOC231.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. Leas, Ryan (October 8, 2020). "Kevin Morby Conjured Sundowner Out Of New Love, Death, The Midwest, And A Tape Machine". Stereogum. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  3. Rutledge, Chris (October 15, 2020). "Kevin Morby 'Sundowner' Finds Itself At Crossroads of Relevant, Reflective". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  4. "Going Home With Kevin Morby". Aquarium Drunkard. October 16, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  5. Ross, Alex Robert (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby on the Midwestern romance behind Sundowner". The FADER. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  6. Walker, Gary (December 3, 2020). "Kevin Morby rediscovers the joy of four-tracks on Sundowner". Guitar.com. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  7. Owczarz, Matt (October 14, 2020). "Kevin Morby Finds Tenderness in Isolation on 'Sundowner'". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  8. Terry, Josh (October 15, 2020). "3 Things That Influenced Kevin Morby's New LP 'Sundowner'". Noisey. Vice. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  9. Martoccio, Angie (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Previews New LP With 'Campfire' Video Featuring Waxahatchee". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  10. Turman, Katherine (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares New Single, 'Campfire,' From Upcoming Album". Spin. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  11. Roberts, Christopher (September 23, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares New Songs "Don't Underestimate Midwest American Sun" and "Wander"". Under the Radar. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  12. Rosenthal, Paris (October 7, 2020). "Kevin Morby Shares Sundowner Title Track: Listen". Paste. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  13. Ruiz, Matthew Ismael (September 1, 2020). "Kevin Morby Announces New Album Sundowner, Shares New Video With Waxahatchee". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  14. Rossignol, Derrick (August 18, 2021). "Kevin Morby Announces A Collection Of 'Sundowner' Demos, 'A Night At The Little Los Angeles'". Uproxx. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  15. Watts, Peter (October 2021). "Kevin Morby - A Night At The Little Los Angeles". Uncut. No. 293. p. 29.
  16. "Sundowner by Kevin Morby reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  17. "Sundowner by Kevin Morby Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  18. Thomas, Fred. "Sundowner – Kevin Morby". AllMusic. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  19. Pywell, Matthew (October 12, 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Clash. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  20. Crabtree, Isabel (October 12, 2020). "Kevin Morby - Sundowner - Album Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  21. Horton, Ross (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". musicOMH. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  22. Segal, Victoria (November 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Mojo. No. 324. p. 80.
  23. Smith, Thomas (October 16, 2020). "Kevin Morby – 'Sundowner' review: intimate, lo-fi musings on love and isolation". NME. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  24. Kemp, Sophie (October 19, 2020). "Kevin Morby: Sundowner Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  25. Kearney, Kevin (October 23, 2020). "Kevin Morby Gets Back to Basics on 'Sundowner'". PopMatters. Retrieved November 8, 2020.
  26. Staunton, Terry (November 2020). "Kevin Morby – Sundowner". Uncut. No. 282. p. 33.
  27. "NBHAP's 50 Best Albums Of 2020". Nothing but Hope and Passion. December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  28. "The Top 75 Albums Of The Year". Uncut. No. 284. January 2021. p. 76.
  29. "Indie Basement: Top 40 Albums of 2020". BrooklynVegan. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
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