By Paul T. Mueller
On his latest CD, The Soul @ the Heal, Austin-based singer-songwriter Gurf Morlix celebrates humanity in all its flawed glory. These 10 songs comprise an unsparing examination of what’s good and what’s not so good in people, all seen through Morlix’s critical but sympathetic lyrics and conveyed in his familiar gruff voice.
Now in his mid-60s, Gurf Morlix has had the opportunity to observe a wide variety of people, from his early years in upstate New York through his long musical career in places like Nashville and Austin. It’s a safe bet he’s known the subjects of these songs, or people much like them. Some of his characters aren’t very likable – for example, the narrator of the ominous “Bad Things,” who insists, not entirely convincingly, that he’s “a good man who may have done some bad things.” Some, such as the wounded-by-love protagonist of “I’m Bruised, I’m Bleedin’,” come across as more victim than perpetrator.
But amid the darkness, there is also light. “Love Remains Unbroken” celebrates the emotional connections that help us through tough times; “Right Now” is an ode to focusing on the present instead of dwelling on the past or the future; “Quicksilver Kiss” recalls the first flowering of new romance; “Move Someone” is a plea for human interaction.
The contradictions of life are neatly summed up in “The Best We Can,” the album’s closing track, which is built around what Morlix has described as a “pretty chord” of the kind he rarely uses. “Ain’t none of us are noble/We lead tawdry little lives/We’re animals roaming the land,” he sings matter-of-factly. “We might be made of stardust, but that don’t make us special/And we gotta do the best we can.” It’s not exactly a rousing pep talk, but Morlix’s gentle, jazzy guitar and restrained optimism make for a welcome message for anyone dealing with the daily grind.
The songs’ thematic contrasts are echoed by the artwork of the CD cover – on the front a cross-section of a cherry, bright red and shaped like a heart, and on the back an amorphous splatter, also bright red, that looks a lot like blood.
In addition to producing, Gurf Morlix handled all of the singing here and much of the playing – guitars, bass, keyboards and percussion. Other contributors include Rick Richards on drums, Ray Bonneville on harmonica and Nick Connolly on B3 organ.