Transparent

On Transparent, singer/songwriter Jason Morphew stretched out from the folk of his previous recordings in his native Arkansas. The result is a bluesy and somber collection of 16 songs filled with life, love, and a healthy dose of soul-searching honesty. The disc kicks off with the laid-back and moody "Melancholy Madness of the Moon," which gives way, in a startling transition, to the synthesizer-rich "Badass with a Heart of Gold," complete with handclaps and Morphew's steadily cool vocals. Claudia Gonson chimes in on co-lead vocals on the restrained and unabashedly sentimental "Call Me With Your Love." The same sentiment can be found on disarming and enchanting songs like "Marry the Moon" and "Being in Love." The mood gets somber on songs like "Bring Your Sorrow Over Here" and "We Don't Talk Anymore." Overall, though, the mood is good-natured and whimsical, especially on "Kisses on My Neck." Morphew's Arkansas drawl is precise and deliberate, adding emphasis to his heart-aching lyrics. The emotions hit their peak on the disc's final two tracks, "Marta" and the title track, "Transparent." On "Marta," Morphew's piano and vocals hit an emotional intensity rarely reached by most modern day piano-based songwriters, Elton John and Ben Folds included. On "Transparent," Morphew returns to an acoustic guitar backdrop behind his high-pitched and soulful crooning. The songs on Transparent were recorded in Arkansas, California, and New York.