Morlove

DRIPPING WITH GRACE: Miss Emily Brown has released a second album this year — this time as the band Morlove. The new “All of My Lakes Lay Frozen Over” finds a familiar face in multi-instrumentalist Corwin Fox, who not only plays the organ, but contributes mandolin, banjo and vocals on a few tracks. No matter how many instruments are played, (and there are many, including Brown’s auto harp, piano and flugelhorn) any band or project Brown is involved in, will quickly find itself circling around the best instrument of the bunch, her voice. The second track, “Views from Potsdam”, is musically different than her solo work. She branches out into a kind of folk-meets-jazz-hybrid sort of sound, harmonizing elegantly with Fox, who croons as softly as David Sylvian on “Cafe Europa”. “Views from Potsdam” is a song that drips with class and soul, with a style like the Sia-led tracks of Zero 7. Lyrically, it feels like a piece that might have found a comfortable home on her masterful solo effort “In Technicolor”, with it’s reminiscences, and the way she weaves the quotidian into storytelling gold. “Flash Freeze” is a foreboding bit of Appalachia, with these lyrics, “There’s a bottle here to finish up / So mix your words up in a cup, and drink to me.” “Falcon” veers furthest from Brown’s previous work, with layers of overlapping vocals — the music hypnotic, with a deep, danceable bass. (That track most certainly will find some eager DJ wanting to make a remix.) But it might be “Love Don’t Come Cheap” (one of the best songs of this year) that best showcases the qualities of this harmonizing duo — and Brown’s gift for angelic phrasing. She sings like a fairytale. Just listen to her serenade with, “And if that’s the way you look at love / Love will be hard to find / My love was honey / I find myself a lover with a mouthful of bees.” Dare you not to fall in love. Brown’s new album may be littered with references to cold weather — but it’s easy to imagine when she sings, even nature heeds, and all frozen things begin to thaw. – Art and words by David D. Robbins Jr. - Their Bated Breath

Morlove is the musical moniker for the collaboration between Miss Emily Brown — an accomplished solo artist in her own right — and producer Corwin Fox. On their All Of My Lakes Lay Frozen Over debut album, they present a decent collection of male/female folk songs that are a little more Beach House than She & Him.

The record is laced with heavy multi-instrumental tracks, but there’s a reason the duo are commonly labeled as experimental folk. Brown and Fox make use of typical instruments like organs, twangy banjos and mandolins, but also bring flugelhorns and glockenspiels into the mix.

Sweet and quiet vocals are paired with these lush instrumentals. Both singers possess clean and calming voices that compliment each other, especially when layered as in "Snow White Town."

All Of My Lakes Lay Frozen Over was recorded in a small church in the middle of the winter, and the music is reflective of this setting: it’s isolated and quiet, with short sparks of ferocity. The only problem is after a while, the songs begin sound a little too twee and blend together. The overall effort would benefit from less slow burners and a little more intensity. - ChartAttack

Morlove is Miss Emily Brown on vocals and keys and Corwin Fox on vocals, guitar and various other instruments. Providing a lush, ethereal layer of strings are Christina Zaenker on cello and Hannah Epperson on violin. Warp & Weft is a five song EP and Morlove’s second disc.

This is warm and sophisticated Canadian indie, new folk with all kinds of harmonic innovation and a respect for the interesting places various instruments can go when given some room to move around and frolic a bit. Emily’s voice is ever so effectively evocative alone and combined with the yang of Corwin’s seasoned vocal. One of the new song’s, ‘Skeletons’ had me walking around with an earworm for a few days.

This album doesn’t adhere to any pop formula. - BC Musician Magazine

British Columbia-based duo Morlove create intricate, acoustic folk songs, but on All of My Lakes Lay Frozen Over, their sound is touched by engaging, unexpected pop nuances as well. Vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Emily Brown and Corwin Fox complement each other well, brushing gently against each other as writers and tastefully restrained singers. Along with near-lullabies like the title track, there are neatly arranged tunes like "Falcon" and "Relative Chemistries," which are propelled by interesting rhythms, strings and floating horns. The lyricism is evocative yet mysterious, presented in high-range voices that are practically angelic. There are jazz and post-rock leanings within things like "Old Perfume," and "When You Come Down" has the frontier shuffle of Calexico coursing through it. All told, there's a unique depth to Morlove's debut record, which sidles up to the edge of the unknown abyss, with its palm safely grasping the handrail.
-Vish Khanna - Exclaim!