Newcomer Charlotte Morris takes her listeners on a journey through love and loss with her latest album, WILD CHILD, due out September 29. Deeply personal, the 10-song collection shares vulnerable moments, lifelong hurts and hopeful reflections that will resonate with music lovers of multiple genres.
Morris describes this outing as “genuine, raw and emotional music with a purpose.” The songs are powerful, the messages diverse –a magical mix that is the perfect culmination of concept, creation, and excellence of craft. From her parents’ divorce during her childhood to a friend’s sudden death, the hard life lessons keep coming. Morris’ insightful perspective and exquisite voice soften the blows and give the listener time to absorb the pain and take heart from the lesson. Spun from a classic Folk/Roots foundation and burnished with the drive of modern Country, Charlotte’s music embodies the storytelling of theatre as she lays it all on the line. WILD CHILD, her first album release since moving to Music City, is baked with all the insecurity, fear, curiosity, and joy that come with growing from a wild child into a wilder woman.
The album kicks off with the poignant “Tennessee,” an ode to a passing – but memorable – love. Charlotte’s voice whispers and soars, flawlessly marking moments to reflect upon in the future. Her current single, “Your Number One,” lands next with a sensuous salsa beat that launches into a pop-driven, riff-laden chorus which proves heartbreak songs need not be staid ballads to be effective. The Country Network premiered the acoustic companion music video earlier this week. Other highlights can be found throughout and include a moving tribute to a friend who died young. “The Day We Lost You” is beautifully written and artfully produced, and Morris makes the most of her ethereal voice in this testament to grief – as a process, as a fact of life and as a world of its own. The trauma and tragedy of addiction are addressed in “Good Kind Of Hurt,” a song Morris wrote of her stepdad’s struggle with alcoholism. “Watching this amazing man, a military veteran, go through what he did and knowing his history with PTSD, I am so proud and so thankful that he was able to find his way to sobriety.” Morris imbues a sliver of a silver lining in even the darkest of times with her awe-inspiring voice – and her writing is where she searches for that first glimmer of light. “I hope ‘Good Kind Of Hurt’ can help at least one person recognize any addiction in their life and find the help they need,” Charlotte reflects. The disc closes with “This Time ‘Round,” a rousing, feel-good anthem for anyone struggling to push forward with their dream. “You’ll never get where you wanna go if you stop trying,” Morris says. “It’s all about drive, and this song gives you just that.”