Hero

Hero

by Maren Morris
Hero

Hero

by Maren Morris

CD

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Overview

Maren Morris didn't precisely arrive out of nowhere when she delivered her major-label debut in the summer of 2016 -- she racked up three independent records between 2005 and 2011, the first arriving when she was 15 years old -- but Hero certainly felt unexpected and fresh upon its release. Much of this inventiveness reflects Morris' cross-cultural sensibility, cultivated from equal exposure to classic country, modern pop, and hip-hop, an aesthetic that places Hero at the crossroads of a couple of strands of modern country. At her core, Morris is a singer/songwriter in the vein of Brandy Clark, Miranda Lambert, and Kacey Musgraves -- writers with a keen eye for telling domestic details, composing songs that draw upon tradition but address the present -- but the production she developed with Busbee draws sharply from the lithe R&B influences pioneered by Sam Hunt and the colorful crossover pop of Little Big Town. With its stuttering reggae-inflected electronic rhythms, "Rich" recalls "Painkiller" but it's not a re-creation: Morris twists the rhymes, riding the beat while undercutting her boasts with sly wit. Attitude is a big thing with her. She's funny, profane, and passionate, qualities that serve her well on the album's bolder, brighter numbers, songs where she bends and clips her words in a fashion that owes some debt to hip-hop. On the slower numbers, she flips this skill, easing into the sultry, soulful simmer of "I Wish I Was" or the hushed "I Could Use a Love Song" with an elegant grace. One of the pleasures of Hero is how Morris skillfully slides between styles, blurring distinctions between genre and eras. Much of the album takes its cue from its breakthrough single, "My Church," a piece of secular gospel praising the power of the radio: she draws her strength from the power of pop culture. Maybe that's why she can so easily glide between old-school soul, glistening pop, trash talk, and contemporary R&B on Hero, letting each provide an essential element on an album that feels thoroughly modern and thoroughly country. By drawing upon so many cross-currents, Hero belongs to the digital era but it's the songs -- smart, sharp, and hooky -- that make this a great modern pop album, regardless of genre. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date: 06/03/2016
Label: Columbia / Sony Music
UPC: 0888751688520
Rank: 6410

Tracks

  1. Sugar
  2. Rich
  3. My Church
  4. I Could Use a Love Song
  5. 80s Mercedes
  6. Drunk Girls Don't Cry
  7. How It's Done
  8. Just Another Thing
  9. I Wish I Was
  10. Second Wind
  11. Once

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Maren Morris   Primary Artist,Lead Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Natalie Hemby   Vocals (Background)
Ian Fitchuk   Piano,Organ (Hammond)
Mike Busbee   Percussion,Synthesizer,Organ (Hammond),Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Bass,Piano,Keyboards,Wurlitzer
Eric Darken   Percussion
Aaron Sterling   Drums,Percussion
Dave Thompson   Vocals (Background)
Fred Eltringham   Drums,Percussion
Derek Wells   Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Mark Trussell   Guitar (Electric)
Laura Veltz   Vocals (Background)
Deborah McCrary   Choir/Chorus
Brad Hill   Noise,Vocals (Background)
Rich Brinsfield   Bass
John Osborne   Choir/Chorus,Guitar (Electric)
Ryan Hurd   Vocals (Background)
Alfreda McCrary   Choir/Chorus
Regina McCrary   Choir/Chorus
Hayley McLean   Guitar (Electric)
Allen McCrary   Choir/Chorus
Beverly McCrary   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Shane McAnally   Composer
Mike Busbee   Programming,Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Barry Dean   Composer
Eric Darken   Engineer
Aaron Sterling   Engineer
Dave Clauss   Mixing,Engineer
Derek Wells   Engineer
Tracy Baskette-Fleaner   Creative Director
Morgan Stratton   Assistant Engineer
Laura Veltz   Composer
Chris DeStefano   Composer
Matt Dragstrem   Composer
Luke Laird   Composer
Jimmy Robbins   Composer
Brad Hill   Engineer,Producer,Programming
Jesse Jo Dillon   Composer
Mason Levy   Programming
Scott Johnson   Production Assistant
Zack Dewall   Assistant Engineer
Ryan Hurd   Composer
Jeff Balding   Engineer
Maren Morris   Composer,Producer,Liner Notes
Brian David Willis   Digital Editing
Adam Ayan   Mastering
Robby Klein   Photography
Ernesto Olivera   Assistant Engineer
Brett Tyler   Composer
Amanda Miller   Assistant Engineer
Taylor Lindsey   A&R
Juan Sevilla   Assistant Engineer
Natalie Hemby   Composer
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