As someone born in the mid-2000s, I feel like I’m endlessly attempting to catch up with all the music that has gone before. This is where artists such as Van Morrison don’t help the situation with an excessive amount of musical output for the world to delve into. I don’t know whether to applaud this achievement, and the fact that an artist can continue providing new offerings decades into their career or ask if I can have a minute to catch my breath.
Of course, this comes with its own challengers: how will new albums appeal to newer audiences when so much of their career is cemented within a legacy? Does it even matter, as long as you have a dedicated fanbase from years prior?
Nevertheless, 58 years since his first, Van Morrison offers his latest album Remembering Now which will be his 47th studio album.
I didn’t know what to expect going into this. 1968’s Astral Weeks had long grabbed my attention, and perhaps I went in with some suggestion that this album would resort back to the beauty of those autumnal acoustics, and at points, we are transported there, with songs which could stand strong amongst the gems of his discography.
I feel I’ve never been captured by Morrison’s genre, which combines the delicacy of folk with the sway of blues. I’d much rather them separate as when combined, I find they continually form songs which practically sound the same. It’s normally a solemn bordering-on ballad carried heavily by a piano, rock organ, wistful major chords and a bland beat. Or, if the song is more upbeat? All the same just alter the tempo. And at the start of the album that’s what I believed we were being offered but as we moved through Morrison’s offerings, more depth was added to it not only within its sound but its lyrics, moving it away from what you’d initially expect it to sound like.
There’s certainly an audience for it, especially if you’re a long-standing fan of Morrison, with songs such as ‘If It Wasn’t For Ray,’ and ‘Love, Lover and Beloved’ offering sounds which could transport you to any point of Morrison’s career. Some moments, such as the instrumentation of songs such as ‘Back to Writing Love Songs” and ‘When the Rains Came’ even echo that of his seminal album Moondance.
I also believe these songs will translate well within a live setting, with the juxtaposing gentle groove of the music successfully being brought to life. And whilst, at the start of the album we’re met with songs which blend into one, as we enter the second half of the album everything feels more defined, offering musicality which shifts between angelic soundscapes to a hauntingly moody prowess which, dare I say, could belong on a Nick Cave album.
Another particular highlight along these lines is his voice, still carrying that definition which lays somewhere amongst a modest passion for the lines he’s written, strong in the way it leads the songs.
It feels like Morrison has once again found his feet within his songwriting, with the album being the first of newly written material since 2022’s What’s It Gonna Take? It is great to see an artist of such legacy and stature still delve into songwriting, continuing to convey their musical passion.
Van Morrison: Remembering Now – Out 13 June 2025 (Exile Productions)
Morrison – Cutting Corners (Official Visualiser) – YouTube
