The album begins with its (near) title track, and “The Party Is Over” deals with a break-up, but it puts the hard rock into “country rock”—and the way it builds to its chorus is impressive.
Matters of the heart—as ever with Wade—are never far from the surface, and “Let Us Down” is another example.
If those two are the “rock,” then the brilliantly cracked “East Coast” is the roll, as it were. A mournful steel guitar and the suggestion that this “pain is relentless” immediately offer clarity that “The Party Is Over (Recovered)” is an album Wade needed to make.
“Roses” finds her leaving something behind, and the screeching guitar suggests you won’t be seeing her again, either. The wanderlust, the road dog—it’s in her blood. And it’s right there in the craft of these self-penned songs: “Left Me Behind” turns the tables and carries a real Americana flourish.
“Candy From Strangers” changes the vibe completely. The Georgia Satellites back in the day would have been proud of its sleazy rock ‘n’ roll.
But Wade’s real skill is in how effortlessly she can switch gears. “Parking Garage” finds her smoking weed over a soul-tinged ballad, and the harmonies are sensational. That she follows it with a big, widescreen rocker like “Songs I Won’t Remember”—surely destined for the end montage of a big-hit miniseries on Paramount+—is typical of what she does here.
Morgan Wade’s honesty is astounding. There’s no way “High In Your Apartment” doesn’t come from a place of raw, genuine truth. Her voice is emotional and unfiltered—but the “(Recovered)” part of the title matters. She’s lived this, and has the scars to prove it. They’re etched into her skin as permanent reminders.
She’s just exceptionally talented. “Stay” is proof of that. And who knows? She might stick around this time.
There’s a confessional air to the closer. Just Wade and some absolutely haunting instrumentation—and the longing for children is underlined in absolute bold.
It’s a harrowing end. When she sings, “I feel like less than a woman,” you feel it. You feel for her. But that’s the true power—not just of this record, but of the best music in general.
Morgan Wade is on a journey. She lays it bare, and on “The Party’s Over (Recovered),” we’re with her every step of the way.
Rating: 8.5/10
