Maebh showcases the softest and most intimate and alluring side of her sound on her stellar new album My Everything
While you can throw all of the bells and whistles and production into your sound and style, it is authenticity and heart that really gets through to you and leaves a lasting impression on you as a listener, and immersive UK singer-songwriter Maebh is somebody who has this intimate and personal appeal that feels as compelling as anything you’re likely to hear anytime soon, with her new album My Everything serving as collection of tracks that more than showcases this in powerful fashion.
This thoughtful appeal is immediately established on opening track ‘Can’t Be Done’, a track led by stunning piano and strings, accompanying the artist’s thoughtful lyrics surrounding themes like losing yourself and longing, creating this nostalgic and captivating listening experience that really hits home. This more stripped-back and folk-inspired side to the artist’s sound is something that characterises the album as a whole and really lets her songwriting shine, and her raw and unfiltered confidence and talent as an artist elevates these tracks in a really profound and powerful way.
Feelings of regret and sadness are explored on ‘How Can I’, while still holding onto this soft sweetness that the artist has established through her sound. As the lyrics grow increasingly pointed and intense, the alluring and composed nature of the instrumentation and Maebh’s vocals stays firm and intimate, almost like an argument unfolding right in front of you that feels like it could escalate into something more but never does.
Strained relationships are explored even further on ‘If I Had a Daughter’, a track that sees the artist imagining telling her future child to not make the same mistakes that she has in love and being tied down by situations that don’t serve her or allow her to be her best self, and it is another situation where the authentic nature of the sound gives it a really powerful edge. The line “I loved you more than enough but you’re a stranger now to me” gives it a real sense of finality and encapsulates the feel of the track, and leaves a memorable impression on you as a listener.
‘Rosy’ follows and has this instantly alluring appeal that you can’t seem to shake, utilising her soft and thoughtful sound to explore an unexpected winter romance that grabs hold of you and warms up the colder months, still vivid in her storytelling and artistry in a way that feels effortlessly compelling. The track feels like an alluring change of tone, with the sadness of the last two tracks just amplifying how euphoric and light this one feels, with all of the warmth and heart coming from the gentle vocals and the thought that has gone into every word that Maebh singes.
This sense of euphoria continues into ‘My Everything’, a track that explores themes like love and missing somebody and the way that your life just feels completely transformed by the presence of someone else, even with the figurative golden hues around everything that you see. This is another track that melds just perfectly with the artist’s intimate sound, with moments, both happy and sad, escalated and hitting with even more potency when paired with such a moving and delicate approach to songwriting.
Following on from the alluring alluring softness of ‘White Carpet’, the artist delves into more introspective territory on ‘When The Days Are Sunny’, journeying into some of her more sombre thoughts and feelings and the ways that she can sometimes feel unfulfilled or like better days are coming in the future. The repeated line of “I can’t help feeling this way” is something that feels sure to resonate with listeners who have had the same kind of doubts, and makes for a sobering moment that evokes something within you.
Feelings of manipulation and being lied to in a relationship are explored on ‘Bad Man’, a track that sees the artist really painstakingly describing some of the details of a toxic relationship that sees her being guilt-tripped and convinced to say by somebody who is treating her wrong and promising to change. It is another track that some listeners will really strongly grab onto and find solace and a sense of catharsis with, and another showcase of the artist’s immersive songwriting.
The alluring softness of ‘Tulips Pink’ makes for one of the sweetest and most gentle and softly powerful moments on an album that is packed full of them, with the subtlety of the piano here and the vivid imagery of somebody who has spent so much time on the move leaving different parts of herself around different cities feels really profound and captivating throughout.
There is more turbulence in relationships explored on ‘What Did I Do’ and ‘Don’t Ask Me To Stay’, with both tracks seeming on opposite sides of faltering relationships, with the former featuring Maebh asking somebody what they did when they want to leave and wondering what she did to make them act that way, and the latter with her being the person who has had enough and feels that the relationship is no longer serving her or making her happy. It is a really thoughtful contrast across the two tracks that offers two varying perspectives that feel rewarding in their contrasting tones and feels.
There is a bittersweet kind of charm to ‘One of a Kind’, a track that sees Maebh looking to offer some kind of closure following a situation that hasn’t quite worked out. Managing to show how thoughtful and intricate her writing can be when broaching more sensitive and difficult subjects and trying to show compassion and care for others.
The album closes out with ‘You Are Lovely’, possibly the softest and most compassionate track on an album that is full of these intimate moments and heartfelt, sincere lyrics. The album as a whole is completely self-produced, writing and composed by the artist, and I think that this goes along way towards crafting a sound and style that feels as intimate as nice as it does, as well as all of the other reasons that have been explored throughout the review. Maebh’s sound feels completely and entirely her own, something that makes the highs feel higher, the lows feel lower, and every emotion and feeling explored resonates with you as a listener and has her almost feeling like somebody you know by the conclusion of the album.
