This beautiful EP reflects a summer of upheaval for Maria Kelly, both emotional and practical – she moved from Dublin to Berlin – from which her diary entries have been worked into songs reflecting the feelings of holding on, hiding behind and letting go which came with the upheaval of commencing a new life. These songs are delicately and subtly produced to enhance an atmosphere of vulnerability. A touch of despondency is balanced by reflection moving to optimism as the summer moves month by month to its close and her new life ahead.
An obvious comparator (self-referenced) is Phoebe Bridgers, similar delicate, dreamy voices, soft and sibilant, balancing beauty and frailty with the suggestion of power. The most satisfying track is opener ‘Prelude’, it’s gentle opening gradually layered with gorgeous effects, the studio window purposefully left open to capture the sounds of the city. This EP will be brought out again in half a years time, to accompany the extended twilight, window open, summer breeze.
https://soundcloud.com/mariakelly-1/sets/notes-to-self
