An obvious knock at Van Morrison appears thanks to the name of his new single, but it may as well be avoided. Cutting Corners looks to reimburse the faith fans have had in the veteran songwriter in recent years. Between this and the lead single of Remembering Now, the Belfast-featuring Down to Joy, there is a reformation in the heart and head of this legendary performer. He sounds concerned not with living up to his past, but making sure it is his present; this timeliness of contemporary performance still stirs him. So too the audience, with the consistencies heard on Cutting Corners undoubtedly enough to win over the bulk of fans who wanted more from Morrison and the glory days of his writing. A tremendously sweet song is Cutting Corners, a quality piece of material which calls back to the days Morrison was a voice to be reckoned with, a man with meaning.
Morrison has never had trouble with his vocal quality, but in recent years has strayed from original material. His cover work ranged from the meaningless to the meandering, but he has found a strong centre once more with these originals. Cutting Corners does nothing of what its title would suggest. Great liberty is taken in maintaining this, and preceding track Down to Joy, as moments of twilight reckoning. Reflection applied to the future. This is where Morrison relays his lost love moments, the desire to encounter a former flame once more. Whether it is death or displeasing moments which come between the pair is tertiary compared to the forthright tone Morrison takes. He has learned from his never-revealed mistakes and wishes to make amends. Whether this is possible is unknowable, and a soft futility can be found in the lyrics, the breaks for saxophone solos as inspiring as they are necessary breaks from what could be a permanent end.
This is Morrison and the group of session musicians in brilliant form. A contemporary thrill from Morrison is a surprise at this point, especially after the laughable attempts heard in the studio the last time he offered originals. He has reworked his rage, accepted the problems of the past as just that, and now has the chance to reflect. Missing someone is no tricky message, it is the conviction of the artist who does the grieving to convince us of their regret. Morrison does so well on Cutting Corners, as articulate and instrumentally exciting as expected from a veteran of stage and studio. There is little ambition beyond hearing what tonal shifts can be made in the face of loss, but those flourishing moments are more than enough to carry the song.
A thriving and obvious song is backed by steady instrumentals, the homegrown sway, which did not feature on his best works. A reconnection with Belfast and the softer tones, the countrified style, is a welcome one. Shimmering acoustics and bold sections of brass are used well on Cutting Corners, a song from the heart, that much is clear. Morrison regrets holding back, and whoever the intended recipient of these feelings was, the impact is clear on the songwriter. A heartbreaker in the making, a slow-burning, charming piece of Morrison’s discography. Place it alongside the loved-up features of his earliest works, and Cutting Corners fits in well.
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