Hear John Moreland’s Resolute New Song ‘It Don’t Suit Me (Like Before)’
Even the best songwriters get stale if they deny the pull of their own evolution – both artistically and personally – and Oklahoma’s John Moreland, known for his ability to draw a tear from even the most steely souls, is ready to move on with his fourth album, Big Bad Luv. Out May 5th, the LP will find Moreland embracing a richer, more rock & roll sound and leaving the temptation to stay steeped in darkness behind, as evidenced on the first single, “It Don’t Suit Me (Like Before).” Listen to him making amends with his demons above.
Moreland previously translated the songs from his past albums, including 2015’s High on Tulsa Heat, into room-silencing solo endeavors, howling through tales of heartbreak like “You Don’t Care for Me Enough to Cry” at his live shows. To mark Big Bad Luv‘s transition, he will hit the road for the first time as a duo with multi-instrumentalist John Calvin Abney, who will help to conjure the full band richness of tracks like “It Don’t Suit Me (Like Before).” True to Moreland’s sense of introspection and tender lyricism, Big Bad Luv doesn’t leave the sadness behind or start to see the world in simple black or white: instead, it finds a man looking towards the future but only while acknowledging the permanent imprint of the past.
Unlike his past three records, which were created at home in Oklahoma, Moreland recorded and produced Big Bad Luv at Fellowship Fall Sound in Little Rock with mixing by Tchad Blake (The Black Keys, Tom Waits, Sheryl Crow).
Big Bad Luv will be released May 5th via 4AD, the British label home to the National and Future Islands.