At times I grapple with the question of: am I a city mouse or a country mouse? Sure, I did the city mouse thing for many years—worked in the big hospital, lived in the heart of the city, tried all the new restaurants. Lived that life. I always thought of myself as a city mouse, and yet the further I get from the "city" (using quotations, because we technically still live in Philadelphia), the happier I become. I seek out the natural beauty and peace of the "country." I would honestly be content on a farm. But that's not to say you can't find peace and beauty in a city, because most times I'm down there I do transiently miss the heck out of the city life. I can appreciate the beauty in both.
To take it a step further, I've always wondered what it would be like to live in a southern or midwestern small town, separating out politics in this hypothetical scenario. It must be at the very least comforting to live somewhere where you know everyone and the whole town gathers at the local Applebee's after the big game on Friday night to celebrate the Panthers' win.
What does this all have to do with country music and Maren Morris? Of course, country music—even pop-country music brings to mind small-town life. This tends to be truer for the more "classic" country artists out there, and although Maren Morris, being the ultra-star she is and making tons of money, may not know much of small-town life anymore, the same ideals still seem to resonate throughout the music: love, family, friends. And that's just lyrically—Humble Quest captures a lot of the classic country music sounds that transport you right into the country.
To further apply the country mouse vs. city mouse metaphor here: for a very long time I avoided country music in all its forms. I've now come to accept that much like having an appreciation for the merits of both city life and country life, I can also appreciate the merits of country music as must as I appreciate all other types of music. Maren Morris, like many of the pop-country artists out there today, is good at making country music accessible, and doesn't make you feel like you need to be wearing a MAGA hat to listen to it.
Final thoughts: Humble Quest is an easy album to listen to. I do like all of the songs, but there isn't one that stands out as the best or the worst. A lot of the songs exude peaceful beauty and charm. A lot are playful, sweet, and relatable—some songs more than others (although "Tall Guys" has led me to believe I should be drinking top shelf and flying first class... hmmm).
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