Cowbo Morsche - Sick Nap Idiot

Cowbo Morsche

Sick Nap Idiot
​self-released; 2020

4.1 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Matt Jensen

If you aren’t familiar with Cowbo Morsche, it’s time to get acquainted with his recent release Sick Nap Idiot. There are plenty of artists that claim to bend genres but they are very little who do it this well. The first time I heard music similar to this was when I heard Odelay by Beck. My young fifteen-year-old mind back in the mid-‘90s was officially blown. That was also before digital became what digital became, which made it much easier to splice, contort and more.

At any rate Cowbo Morsche certainly seems to be in similar company with Beck if just for the fact of how seamless the transitions sound. There are surprises around every corner with this music but the surprises were exciting as if this music had no bounds.

The album gets moving with “Papi Say Goodnight” which is a perfect example of what I’m referring to. There is lo-fi indie bedroom pop, elements of Bossa Nova and a wide array of disparate elements which work together in wonderful ways. The music feels playful and avant garde in a Frank Zappa type of way. It’s a seven-plus-minute track but he fits so much into the song it could have been a fourteen-minute song. The song has been trimmed of all the fat from the edges. Additionally I thought the female vocal performance was exceptional.

“Barfly” actually did remind me more of Beck directly. This song had a bit of a Midnite Vultures vibe which is sort of an underrated album. It’s a bit flashy, bright and contains some straight hip-hop which is a bit aggressive. The song goes into David Lynch territory with a glimpse of the absurd. As I mentioned all of it somehow seems seamless.

“Parrot Strips” is more of a testament to his creativity in the studio. It’s a percussive heavy song and moments of beauty almost die as soon as they arrive. They are some great grooves and even a part that seems to be a tip of the hat to The Sugarhill Gang.

“Hoarse Whispering” experiments with de-tuned vocals while the atmospheric and ominous “Hassan's Rumpus Room” shows even more sides to his sound. “Salsa Till Sick” and “Bignus Go Home” continue with these off-kilter ideas. “Bignus Go Home” is just insane actually. 

​The artist seems to be overflowing with ideas. Some of the ideas are brilliant but he drops them so fast because he has about a hundred others he needs to get to. This album is a great example of how original, malleable and boundless music can be. Highly recommended.

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