Kendra Morris - Babble (2023) [Hi-Res]

The word Babble brings two things to mind: A person pouring out their thoughts with reckless abandon, or a gentle sound coming from water cascading over rocks as it flows past. In the case of this reissue from Kendra Morris, Babble is a sublime melding of these two meanings.

We all have that secondary thought bubble that pops up when we should be concentrating on what’s in front of us. Reflections of our deepest pain, excitement in new love, or subconscious anxiety slink into our psyche and fuel distractions. Kendra takes those inner dialogues and winds them into lilting lyrics and fervent tones then feeds them into you. Questions like “Why do you care?” in Le Snitch, remind us that bullies don’t stop existing after high school while the newly added, and album finale, Ride On, a tribute to her late brother, soothe us with the knowledge that you don’t stop existing just because you’ve left this earth. The ability Kendra has to take trepidation, desire, and insecurities and turn them into comfort and make you want to get up and move with them is a gift in itself. The progression of Twist and Burn, to Woman to Avalanche takes us from the mystical feelings of new love to the self-doubt that creeps in and then to the repetitive rut a relationship can turn into, even if it’s filled with love. The journey through human emotion is accomplished through Kendra’s songs, bringing us, the listeners, into Kendra’s enchanted world of pain and strength, feeling renewed on the other side.

The original release of Babble in 2016 came in the form of a self-released EP. A fan cult favorite; it has now grown to include three additional tracks: Playing Games, Dial Back and Ride On. With the support of Karma Chief Records (A division of Colemine Records), Babble is getting the official release it deserves.

Along with the new tracks comes new artwork. The original vinyl of this EP was released with a black and gold cover, sans artwork, unless you were one of the successful 50 to snag a copy with a one of a kind self portrait collage, meticulously created by Kendra. Now with a modified lightning bolt cover honoring the original, this newly expanded gatefold comes with a select few of those original collage pieces digitally recreated and combined to give the viewer a chance to search for Kendra, hidden amongst the chaos as she would have it.

An artist in every sense of the word, Kendra Morris is devoted to her crafts, and compelled to keep granting us a window into her mind.