Of the countless homages to New York City, a multitude of styles and approaches could be cited, from Billy Joel to Lou Reed to Jay-Z. A 2013 album by guitarist Kevin Morby, known for his work with Woods and The Babies, adds an important and unique chapter to the story of New York-inspired art. The hypnotic bass and rhythm driving Morby’s self-titled song from his debut album, Harlem River, cast a kind of benevolent spell over the listener. Ironically, the languid tone and snare brushes in “Harlem River” allude coyly to the sort of lazy summer days you might encounter in Morby’s hometown of Kansas City, far away from the Big Apple.
Song of the Day: “Harlem River”
Max Gray
Read more of Max Gray at Big City Sasquatch or follow him on Twitter @City_Sasquatch. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in Encounters, Mount Hope, Conte, tNY.press, and English Kills Review. He co-hosts the etymology podcast Words For Dinner and is a graduate of the Rutgers-Newark MFA program.