Frankie Morrow – Way Out West album review by Robert Blair

Editor and resident music journalist Robert Blair reviews Way Out West by Frankie Morrow, a stellar debut album from one of Paisley’s most exciting exports in modern times

If you’re reading this, there’s a high likelihood that you’re acquainted with the proud tradition of singer songwriters emanating from Renfrewshire.

From Gerry Rafferty and Paolo Nutini to Jill Jackson and David Sneddon, the poetic soul that bubbles through these streets has been harnessed in many ways over the years. 

Now, it is Frankie Morrow’s turn to demonstrate the impeccable, affecting penmanship that the region’s writers are known for on their debut album Way Out West.

Across ten scintillating tracks, vocalist and songwriter Maria MacMillan conducts an exorcism and post mortem on a relationship that pulls no punches and is unapologetic in its candour. 

Tapping into a rich lineage of soul-baring songwriting that nods to everyone from bonafide icons such as Joni Mitchell to modern trailblazers such as Adrienne Lenker and Courtney Marie Andrews whose own tendency for artistically-minded honesty has garnered them legions of fans around the world. 

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Finding a resonant vein in the sound of plaintive Americana, tracks such as The Peach and There is a Place take this inspiration and reimagine it in line with their own unique sensibilities.

Elsewhere, tracks such as Star Jasmine and the organ-inflected I Know You step into alt rock terrain with a surefooted swagger that sacrifices none of the album’s emotional pull. 

Formed by way of what Maria described to Mill in a previous issue as “a torrent of emotion and creativity”, there is a sense of cohesion to this record which many artists don’t accomplish until much later into their discographies. 

A tale of love, loss and eventual catharsis, the solace found on Way Out West comes by navigating through the heartbreak, rather than evading the many entrapping barbs it leaves in its wake.

For those who enter into the lusciously realised and painstakingly raw world that’s presented on this album, you’re liable to find yourself swept away by the strength of these songs, marvelling at their diaristic lyrics and rich, resounding textures that fill its tracklist from beginning to end. 

To grab a copy of Frankie Morrow – Way Out West or to buy it digitally, visit Bandcamp.