• Track: Oh Julia
• Artist: John Moreland
• Album: In the Throes
• Year: 2016

Lyrics:

Julia, do you remember
How the church bells rang
Oh your Sunday dress looked
And how the angels sang
But they kept us in a stranglehold
Filled our heads up with fear
And I saw the light in your eyes
Slowly through the years

[Chorus:]
Oh Julia
I think I’ve finally found the truth
You’ve got to kill whatever’s been killing you
Oh, Julia

Sunday morning on Main Street
With the walls closing in
We washed the shame from our faces
Left from last night’s sins

Sunday morning on Main Street
With the walls closing in
We washed the shame from our faces
Left from last night’s sins
Mom said she’d pray for me
I think that I understood
She must’ve seen something in me
I just doubt it was something good

[Chorus]

Tell the congregation not to waste their grace on me

[Chorus]

What you told me still rings true
You’ve got to kill whatever’s been killing you
Oh, Julia

Recently, I discovered John Moreland, an artist who blends folk, country, blues, and rock seamlessly into a genre-defying mix that as near to perfection as anything I’ve heard in the past 10 years. Moreland is from Oklahoma, and every song bristles with open skies, long roads, and heartbreak to spare. In the Throes is one of the best records in my collection, and it has earned what I expect will be a permanent spot in my musical rotation. Moreland is an amazingly talented storyteller. His voice is road weary, gritty, and steeped in heartbreak.

This is a lonely drive down a hot southwestern Texas highway. This is a seat on a bar stool in a smoky honky-tonk. This is a shot of good Kentucky bourbon and a good smoke. This is a heart laid bare.

Standouts include Nobody Gives a Damn About Songs Anymore, I Need You Tell Me Who I Am, Blacklist, and Oh Julia, but there’s not a bad track or note on the album. You can bet I will be adding every John Moreland track I can find to my collection.

If you like the kind of music that you might hear in a sad cowboy bar, this album is for you. The album is replete with acoustic and electric guitars and just enough pedal steel to make it smooth. Fans of Ryan Bingham, Will Hoge, Kasey Anderson, Drive-By Truckers, Patterson Hood, Ryan Adams, Justin Townes Earle, Son Volt, and Chris Knight will feel right at home with Moreland’s music, and those new to all these bands just might find a new favorite genre.
Just. Buy. It.

Video:

Here is the studio version of Oh, Julia:

 This John Moreland performing Oh, Julia at Ashland Coffee & Tea in Ashland, Virginia in November 2015:

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