Melbourne-based singer/songwriter releases an intimate collection of wistful anecdotes on love and longing, fuelled by polished lyricism and raw honesty.
Maple Glider is new to the scene, but with her debut album To Enjoy Is The Only Thing we hear the thoughts and contemplations of an old soul. With her vibrant metaphors contrasted against brutally honest recollections, Glider is already an accomplished poet. Her lyricism echoes the likes of other contemporary folk singers such as Julia Jacklin, Jen Cloher and Haley Heynderickx in its ability to confess loneliness at the heart of all else.
With gently finger-picked acoustic guitar and steady kickdrum, To Enjoy Is The Only Thing is a nostalgic stroll, not a sprint. The record does read as repetitive at times, lacking the melodic range we would like to see from Maple Glider in the future. Though the lyrics lead us along the winding roads of heartache, loss and religion, the musicality doesn’t take the same risks.
The album hits its peak both lyrically and musically at track 6 “Good Thing” where the lulling drums crescendo into a bridge that hears Maple Glider belt viscerally about self-sabotage “So I’ll say goodbye / Because I’d rather kill a good thing than wait for it to die”. Wailing this line with such piercing remorse, it gives the listener an arresting insight into her potential as both a vocalist and writer.
Despite its regrettable uniformity between tracks, To Enjoy Is the Only Thing is a dreamy and overall stunning collection of songs by an artist we can expect to see great things from.
Rating: 5/10
Nuwanda Reviews 