Another post featuring something I’ve listened to, drawn, and read birded.

Listening

Recently, I was called a Kevin Morby fanboy. No idea why. I’ve only mentioned him and his girlfriend Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) five times in this newsletter over the past year. And I will again, because his new album Little Wide Open is on repeat.

“Welcome to the Midwest,” sings Kevin Morby in the opening track, “Badlands.” Morby lives in Kansas, right in the heart of the American Midwest. Where Tom Petty wrote about “the great wide open”—which often refers to states like California or Texas—Morby writes about “the little wide open.” About the Midwest and his life when he’s not on tour. Smaller stories, ones that are told less often.

The most beautiful track, “Little Wide Open,” is therefore central to the album, and conceptually, all the other tracks are beautifully built around it. “All Sinners,” “Bible Belt,” “Cowtown.” Sometimes it seems religious, but for Morby it’s more the vocabulary of the Midwest, where evangelicals have a strong presence. I love how Morby puts so much personality into his music. The beautiful “Die Young” hits extra hard when you realize it’s about his upcoming child with Crutchfield.

The album was produced by Aaron Dessner1. On “Natural Disaster,” that’s unmistakable when the song transitions into a guitar solo reminiscent of The National. Bon Iver also makes an appearance on Morby’s album. In “Badlands,” as a tornado siren like the ones often heard in the Midwest.

The album ends with “Field Guide for the Butterflies.” What more could a nature-loving music enthusiast who works at a Natural Conservation foundation and the Natural History Museum want? No idea why I’m called a fanboy.

Drawing & Birdwatching

Walking through the park, I heard a sound I didn’t recognize. I followed the sound and saw a long-eared owl among the trees, watching her young learn to fly. Magic. Every evening I walked by, I saw the young owl sitting there, waiting for a snack. At dusk, the young owl grew impatient and began to call out.

Last Sunday, Ron van Bekkum came along. Ron is the resident photographer at the Natuurmonumenten site where I volunteer. He’s an amazing photographer, and even in the evening twilight, he managed to capture these detailed shots. What a cool creature. Learning to fly. Almost ready for the Little Wide Open.

See you next week!2