EP Review | Feel Something with Maria Kelly’s Notes To Self
The latest offering of four-tracks, from Maria Kelly, include two new tracks entitled ‘Prelude’ and ‘August’, along with previously released tracks of ‘June’ and ‘July’.
The EP opens with a fragile and delicate offering of ‘Prelude’ which captures the listeners attention from the get-go, building up an emotive feeling to the alternative-folk instrumentation. The simple yet fascinating track features an acoustic build with epic sound effects in an excellent production.
In the three and a half minutes of ‘June’, the listener is brought on an emotional journey. The echoey atmosphere of the electric guitar, colliding with the acoustics, finds the songstress confessing, “I can’t fly like I’m supposed to.” The heart-breaking tune stirs emotions whilst crafting a wonderful song from the start. It is an excellent addition to the collection of tracks. ‘June’ sees her silky, smooth vocals soaring to the gentle guitar strums and effortless electronics instrumentation.
‘July’ is an enchanting and lovely tune. Compared to the previous track, this song looks inward asking up close and personal questions, she questions, “When is it time to let those emotions go?” As she expresses the difficult emotions, her honesty is intriguing capturing a relatable motion that will have the listener paying close attention to her every word. The weaving spellbinding soundscape creates a perfect harmony to collide with her tone of voice.
‘August’ ends the EP on a high note that life goes on, that there’s many ups and downs, but it’s you who continues to adventure through your journey in life.
The truth about music is that it is supposed to make you feel something, and Maria has the power to do just that. The discomfort of feeling anxious is perfectly displayed throughout the body of work. It’s a worthy listen as the instrumentation also causes a slight uncomfortableness. But she’s an artist using her personal experience to shine; to tell the world that we are not alone. There’s a gentleness to her work from the indie folk arrangements to the intimacy of her lyrics.
The overall theme throughout Notes to Self, is a documentation of the songstress’ move from Ireland to Berlin. There’s one thing for certain throughout the EP and that is that Maria Kelly is an extraordinary songwriter. Her lyrics and language of communication find her depicting confusion, love, and grief along with her angelic vocals. She highlights her fears and worries throughout the body of work along with her vulnerability and poignancy showcased in her voice. Each track has its own story, sound, and emotion. But she’s able to embody the excellent behaviour to create something magical and emphatically.
If you’re a fan of Daughter, Fenne Lily, Marlene Enright and Phoebe Bridgers, Notes To Self, has something for you.
The Irish alternative-folk artist’s EP is a pleasurable listen from beginning to end. From growing up in the West of Ireland, specifically Mayo, she spent a good bit of time developing, finding, and crafting her authentic and delicate sound. Each song was created with elegance, realness, and hits deep as she explored her deepest and most personal experiences.
