John Moreland’s roots voice even works well with beeping synths and drum computers ★★★★☆

John Moreland’s voice is so good that he doesn’t really need any accompaniment, or well, a guitar is enough. However, the American has Birds in the Ceiling great experiment unleashed on his musical environment. Moreland lets drum machines and laptop sounds come up alongside his captivating and voluminous voice, and although songs like Cheap Idols Dressed in Expensive Garbage really nailed to the ground: Moreland gets away with it just fine. Because his daring mix works fantastically, especially when a classical country guitar suddenly links the beats of the bass drum, and his stacked voices carry out the chorus.

It’s remarkable how quickly you get used to these wonderful laptop roots: in Claim Your Prize the hissing computer rhythms and beeping synths seem to be the only imaginable backdrop for the guitar, piano and Bruce Springsteen-esque vocals of Moreland himself. Ultimately, of course, it’s about Moreland’s intimate storytelling power, and the way in which he manages to convert rather despondent reflections into songs from which everyone can draw strength.