Album · 2019

Wide Sky Lullabies

Night-road lullabies, empty cinemas and desert motels: the hushed, wide-open side of life on the highway.

Tracks

1. Chalk Dust and Second ChancesMr. Delaney taught me shop with sawdust in his eyebrows and never once told me I was wasting my time. I opened the record with some swagger for him.workshop country, confident twang4:10
2. Hushed as the Dashboard GlowTwo-lane blacktop and the dashboard glowing like a small green moon. This is the song I wrote with the town asleep.night-drive slow rock, dreamy folk4:14
3. Switchbacks in the FogMountain fog coming down like wool, white line barely visible. I sang it quietly in the car to stay awake.mountain americana, hushed folk4:10
4. Diner Jukebox, Dime for a Slow OneA dime in my pocket and a slow one on the jukebox. The waitress knew exactly what I needed.jukebox americana, smooth ballad3:38
5. Kitchen Table Cha-Cha at Three A.M.I could not sleep at three, so I found a little two-step on the radio and danced around the kitchen alone.kitchen two-step, playful country3:11
6. Red Heels on the DashboardHeels on the dashboard, window down, dust behind us. It is the happiest drive I have ever had.road-trip country, smooth twang4:09
7. Candles on the Kitchen CounterThe wind took the wires down and every clock in the kitchen just quit. We sat in candlelight and finally talked.blackout folk, cosy americana3:58
8. Watch Pawned in a Brand New TownI got off the Greyhound with forty-one bucks and a watch that quit in Tennessee. The pawn shop gave me a start.dust-bowl americana, wistful folk4:08
9. Last Show at the RialtoThe marquee is missing letters and old Mr. Pruitt is sweeping up popcorn. I recorded this one in a cinema just like it.cinema ballad, dreamy twang3:39
10. Matinee for One at the StarlightAn afternoon ticket for one and a nod from the girl at the booth. I have never felt less lonely.matinee folk, hushed country4:52
11. Neon Flickers at the Sandstone Motor InnI pulled in past midnight with the desert gone blue and one sign saying room for a few. It is the truest motel song I know.desert americana, neon folk4:16
12. Platform Four in a Slow Warm RainThe station clock is slow but I do not mind the wait. I closed the record on a train that was late and a rain that was warm.railway country, slow romantic twang3:56

Liner notes

I wrote Wide Sky Lullabies at night, mostly in the car, mostly with the radio low. The big sky out here makes everything feel smaller and gentler, so I let the pedal steel breathe and kept the drums soft. We tracked it in an old cinema in the valley, which is how the Rialto and the Starlight got into the songs. It is the quietest record I have made and the one I am proudest of.

Josie Marlowe