ARKELLS – Morning Report (2017 Universal vinyl deluxe edition)

Last time I reviewed Morning Report, I mentioned that the first two songs, “Drake’s Dad” and “Private School” were my least favourites.  Ironically Morning Report became my favourite Arkells album despite this.  When I re-bought it on a vinyl reissue, I was surprised but pleased to see that the running order had been altered!  Now, a new single called “Knocking At the Door” was track #2, with “Private School” moving on to #3.  This really changes things and makes the album a much more consistent listen from the start.

Y’see, I’ve discovered that I don’t particularly like when the Arkells get too much into modern mainstream pop.   Despite its powerful soul chorus, “Drake’s Dad” falls into this category for me.  It really does have a great chorus, a powerful soul/gospel chant of “I just wanna hold you, so high!” that raises the roof.  It also has a lush arrangement with strings and samples.

“Knocking At the Door” has modern elements too, but my attention is drawn to the blast of the horn section, and the impressive and aggressive drumming from Tim Oxford.  The track is just a banger.  The chorus is as powerful as the Arkells get.  Never a dull moment in this song.  Listen to the horns and drums, trust me!  Like “Drake’s Dad”, this one also features soul/gospel vocals.

The forgettable drinking anthem “Private School” has a fun hook of “Ah, fuck off, don’t say I’d do the same!”  Silly fun.  It doesn’t overstay its welcome, and soon makes way for the incredible ballad “My Heart’s Always Yours”.  This suave pop rock heart-tugger just hits all the feels.  Max Kerman has a way with words and I’m certain that the ladies love him for it.  Though keyboards are the prominent hook-delivering instrument, the pure passion and panache of this song just elevates it to the clouds.  As you’ll see later on, it doesn’t need the keyboards.  A brilliant song, made indelible in the brain and heart!

Things get even better on “Savannah”, the fast acoustic-based song with killer lyrics.  “She was named after, she was named after her dad’s favourite city.  I was named after, I was named after the fact…”  How does Max come up with this stuff?!  He paints a picture of characters, often female, drifting in and out of his life.  He tells their stories, often depicting musty old apartments, messy beds, and empty refrigerators.  Musically, “Savannah” is even better than lyrically.  It’s powerful and it has a trumpet solo, so what more could you want?  The chorus is probably the most immediate one on the album.

Then…get ready for chills, for it is time for “Passenger Seat”, the most haunting song on the album and easily one of the most chill-inducing I’ve ever heard.   Then the chorus comes, with Max in a high falsetto, accompanied by sparse piano and keyboard effects.  “Driving on the highway home, this time alone, doesn’t mean the same without you.  I turn on the radio, to somethin’ slow, just to let it fuck with my mood…but songs don’t sound the same without you in the passenger seat.”  Who can’t relate to that?  (People without driver’s licenses I suppose.)

Brightness returns on “Making Due”, like the light peaking through the blinds after a long night.  The music is pure uplifting magic, and the lyrics cut clean through.  A sunny guitar hook opens the track, and then Max delivers some of his best melodies and words to date.  That falsetto really nails the hooks home.  Favourite lines:  “I thought we made a deal, you were crossin’ your fingers!”  Or  “Got a pulse, but there’s a few beats missin’.”

Acoustics come to the fore on “Round and Round”, a folksy number (at first) that serves to bridge two very upbeat pop songs.  The band comes in partway and it becomes a little more late Beatles-y in a weird way.  Horns come blastin’ through, then synth, and it grows into something else entirely: something birthed in the early 80s, but also talking about MuchMusic’s Electric Circus TV show circa 1999.  An interesting track that is more than meets the ear.

“Hung Up” is impossible not to dance to.  “The gatekeepers are keepin’ me out, let me in!  Who made you the president, well fucker?”  The horns also return, along with the synth, creating a modern pop rock classic.  And I just love Max Kerman’s trio of “Well fucker?” at the end of the song.  (Also listen carefully for a reference to “Fake Money” from the prior album High Noon.)  No folks, he may be no Axl Rose, but Max Kerman is not afraid of dropping F-bombs right and left.  Fortunately I’m easily entertained and I find his use of the word (usually) effective and not overdone.

A beauty called “Come Back Home” is a quieter, slow ballad, with a thrumming bassline that provides a dreamy foundation, like a pillow.  “All would be forgiven if you’d come back home,” begs Max.  “‘Cause I just wanna be yours again.”  Filled with regret, Max is looking for reconciliation.  Morning Report could in fact be a concept album about shattered relationships and our reactions to them.  “And I thought about all the ways I could hurt you, to even the score of feelin’ deserted.”

The upbeat moods return on “A Little Rain (A Song for Pete)”.  Max has indicated he’s probably an atheist in past lyrics, but here he says “I stumbled in St. Peter’s Cathedral, there I was.  I never tried religion but man, I’ll try anything once.”  I can’t tell if this song is about someone name Pete, or if Max is singing as if he’s having conversations with St. Pete himself.  It means whatever you want it to!  This incredibly catchy tune has a fun, bouncy beat and a suitable synth riff to go with it.  Drummer Tim Oxford is definitely an underrated percussionist who doesn’t play it simple and always has catchy fills.

A slower but powerful song called “And Then Some”  is next to last.  This romantic dreamer is so good!  “And I love every inch of you, and then some and then some.”  Beautiful song and I can’t help but think of Tom Cochrane on the chorus.  Something about Max’s delivery sounds like the Red Rider frontman.

Strangely, after all this power, all these hooks, and thick arrangements, the final song is very different from anything else.  Quiet, understated and short, “Hangs the Moon” is like a coda.  The arrangement is very bare, and Max’s voice is the main feature.  The Arkells occasionally choose interesting, unconventional closing songs, and this is one.  It works, but it’s not among my favourite songs on the album, and besides, it’s only the closer on the original 12 track album.  We still have three more to go, all acoustic versions of previous songs.

“My Heart’s Always Yours” has a completely different feel as a piano and vocal arrangement.  Guitar and percussion come in later.  The vocal melody is identical, but the mood hits differently.  It’s more sombre, though still mesmerising.  For the softer arrangement, Max resorts to falsetto for some of the power-vocal moments.  The wonderful “And Then Some” sounds more like the album version, though stripped back to basics.  It’s still every bit as beautiful as the record, with a few little surprises.  The best of the bonus tracks.  The last bonus track is an unplugged version “Knocking At the Door”.  This version sounds akin to an earlier album like Michigan Left.   Similar vibe.  There’s a cool bit at the end where the band sings together that just demonstrates their talent and soul.  Great tune, cool bonus.  All these bonus tracks serve to enhance an already excellent album.

To go with the new tracks, the gatefold double LP set comes with new cover art.  It’s similar, but has a woman’s face sketched instead of a man’s.  I love when different editions get similar, but different art!  I didn’t even notice at first.

Morning Report is an album that I have listened to intensely for the last couple months, and has made a permanent impression on my soul.  With Max’s lyrics tattooed on my heart, I’m already terribly biased towards love.  The improved track list here corrects any flaws with the earlier version and renders it obsolete.

5/5 stars