Pocket Knife - Morgan Haner (Album Review)

Morgan Haner is no stranger to hard work. A man of many talents and skill sets, one can often see him working with all sorts of tools on various projects around his Kalamazoo home. Always looking to grow as an artist, engineer, and producer, he set to recording his latest release, Pocket Knife, as a completely solo venture. It’s an album that showcases his talents on guitar, keys, bass, drums, vocals, harmonica, and all of the production from engineering to mastering. It’s also a journey through different travels and time periods, with it all culminating in one longer narrative arch that ties each tune together.

Kicking off the album with “Paperback,” this tune feels like a 90’s rock throwback and focuses on feelings of confusion and regret. It mirrors that feeling we all have going back to normalcy, where we all survived such a tumultuous year and have new questions about ourselves more than we have answers to questions brewing last year. “Bandolier” notches up the twang in a blues-rock, down-tempo storytelling song that touches on perceptions of emotionally charged events in the news. There are references to all sorts of conmen and familiar, problematic figures and entities outlined in the tune: mass shooters, televangelists, the legal and prison systems, and the overall character found within struggles for power. “Copper” seems to add to the thematic lyricism of the previous tune, telling the tale of the working man getting screwed over to a tune that fits the character of a dusty cowboy in a Texas blues club telling tales from his life. “Break It Again” waxes nostalgic of a past love, never shying away from the pain and even acknowledging “to heal a broken bone/ You've got to break it again.” “Downpour” delivers rock soaked in the rain that’s pouring down on someone fleeing from the trappings of a religion. The psychedelic guitars and a vocal game of tag help to wash the tune in a swirl of sound, adding an extra drop of liquid into the focal point of the tune’s lyrics.

Things take a more positive tone with the title track “Pocket Knife,” remembering those moments traveling around the country with your partner and knowing how bad your luck could have been. All the while, the refrain “There’s something in the white’s of your eyes / That I can't find in my waking mind / It don't matter how hard that I try” serves as a constant reminder that the best part of the trip was being together. Next is a playful number called “Rocking Horse,” and it is by far the catchiest tune on the record. Even with it’s seemingly nonchalant lyricism, it fits the mood started by the previous number and adds to yet another memory in the journey of this release. However, that is short-lived, as the final two tunes delve into a more somber tone. “Sundown in Birmingham” is blues-filled storytelling with a stripped down, more intimate ensemble, and also focuses on the wealthy taking so much from the working class. The lead guitar paired with the vocals helps strengthen that chorus melody in a fitting way too. Finally, we wind things down with “Embroidered Rose,” which feels like a letter to a lost loved one, a blend of memories and current observations that help to celebrate a person and keep them in the present state of mind.

Pocket Knife is a journey through this past year told in a combination of anecdotes, nostalgic trips down memory lane, and the revelations that come with visibly seeing how the power structures that be continue to put down the working man. While all of the songs weave separate tales, the full scope of the album reads like a farewell letter to a loved one. Tales of travels and memories long past, remembering the good times and the bad, and finding peace in the conversation, even if it’s just to old letters and photos. Whether specific people in Morgan’s life or just amplifying the experiences of those around him, it is a work that tells an honest story of a hard-working man just getting his side of the story out there. When your back’s against the wall, a pocket knife might be all you have left - vulnerable, prepared (both to fight and survive), not wholly trusting, resourceful, well-traveled. It sets a scene: the sun is setting, the porchlight is just coming on, and folks grab their sweaters to hear stories from the past, all while a guitar softly accompanies the narration. As Morgan commits to more experiences as an artist going forward, audiences should definitely pull up a chair and be ready to engage with the tales he wants to tell.

Support Morgan Haner!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganseiberthaner/
Bandcamp: https://morganhaner.bandcamp.com/album/pocket-knife
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0xEQn7UByJw4ypRY5ky3mU?si=JlkNAkK7RvKN8ZrJVyJ-wg&dl_branch=1
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/morgan-haner/1202998518

Album Credits:
Morgan Haner -- all instruments and vocals
Drum programming by Morgan Haner
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Morgan Haner
All songs written by Morgan Haner