My trips to the record store have been pretty epic in the past, I have to say. Though I've toned it down dramatically from my early days as a music fan, in the time before I heavily researched what albums to buy, I was the definition of an impulse buyer. I tried to stick mostly to singles and discovered a handful of pretty decent artists in the process, but I would pick up just about any record in the store as long as the cover looked like something I would like and I had heard about the artist in the past.
I found Maria's album My Soul in my local Wal Mart and immediately snatched it up. I had read a couple of mini-reviews and saw it in the "New Artist" section of FYE's website (my then-foolproof way of discovering new artists), so I was fairly confident that it would be something in my musical wheelhouse. Little did I know that some six years later, I would continue to go back to it when the musical landscape wasn't exciting me enough.
Intoxicated isn't the raucous party jam that you would think from the title; instead, it's a serene, romantic ballad with light classical elements interspersed. With a hook that's kind of trip-hop meets the violin, it takes you off guard but its subtle melody and luxuriously rich vocals comfort you just the same. Dreamy and exotic, it's well produced and a classy exercise in how to execute a slow jam. Always is a little darker than the previous track with a weightier bass and a less flow-y melody, but it's still spellbinding. Maria's vocals are a nice contrast to the slightly ominous production and there are enough signature blips and boops to keep the central vibe of the record in tact. While the musical coda at the end is a little long, it gives you a closer look at some stellar production, even becoming more stripped and turning the strings up to sound more like the interlude. Hate to Love You feels a little more straightforward and mainstream, a song that probably could have been released had I Give, You Take been successful. It's less flashy than some of the other tracks on the record, as there are no bells and whistles to report. Bass-heavy and adequately tormented, it's whimsically pensive and the type of self-reflection that is featured prominently on My Soul.
You, Me, and She tells the tale of a broken relationship with a more pop/rock ambiance than a good chunk of the record. One listen to the somber hook and you hear how the song really transcends the bounds of genre; if you would have given the song to a singer-songwriter, it wouldn't lose any effectiveness. It's not so far removed from the rest of the album as to completely stick out, but it's the type of gradual shift in sound that reveals another side to the artist. Coffee in Bed is just sexy. Though I generally find songs built around a metaphor to be pretty weak, this is one of the exceptions, a slow grinding (eek, here I go with the puns) midtempo whose sensuality overcomes any cringeworthy lyrics. The song is just whispery and confident, reverting back to the type of trip hop-ish vibe that I find Maria sounding more comfortable with. With a bass that sounds ripped straight from early 90s r&b and some intermittent strings, it's yet another sonically beautiful track. Wistful and honestly kind of sad, Nowadays is all about losing touch with someone and having them cross your mind. It's more atmospheric than a lot of the tracks, featuring a mumbling vocal and space-y effects, but it's nonetheless extremely enjoyable. One of the things that runs through the entire record is how strong the arrangements are and Nowadays is no different. It's melodically sublime with a thoughtful edge to it that just shines.
Maria Jensen may not be a household name in 2010 (she's not been heard from in, more or less, six years), but My Soul makes a brilliant case as to why that's a shame. It takes the r&b genre and flips it around to get another perspective; you'll hear light elements of classical music, electronic music, and even a touch of rock music on Jensen's debut album and it's as intriguing of a mix as it sounds. Vocally pure and lyrically raw, it's one of the most consistent, sonically satisfying albums that I have in my collection and remains just as relevant of a listen more than half a decade later. In a stale musical environment that seems content to recycle the same guest artists, producers, and motifs, My Soul would be a good purchase to rediscover your love for the genre and to discover the many shades and hues that r&b can have.
0 comments:
Post a Comment