Maya is an English raised singer now living in New York, and A is her second 4 track 10†EP to be released on the Discalcula label. Her sound is a hypnotic swirling gauze of sound that on first listen drifts past with little to grasp onto. As you flip the vinyl and listen more intently there are some complex passages of sound and instrumentation that appear through the mist.
The first track ‘Helium’ is a cello-led rich drone with Maya’ vocals intoning over the top and begging the inevitable Nico and VU comparison. It has a similar dread but it travels more lightly. ‘Red And White’ ups the tempo slightly, shifting the focus to piano before abstract and intentionally disorientating electronic sounds invade the previously organic setting. The effect echoes her lyrics “losing sight / of what was in mind / pleasant distractions / for I’m not your type”.
The b-side delivers ‘Diamond Belt’s and strips away the layers, with the addition of minimal percussion and more aquatic electronic bleeps over the bass and accordion. Her voice treads ethereal folk waters and isn’ a million miles from a band like Beach House in its more approachable moments. ‘Life Long Tenant’s completes the quartet of songs with a return to the cello and a gorgeous arrangement of synths and creeping notes. It has a ghostly presence like an empty ballroom and would work better as an instrumental. Here Maya’ words are over-enunciated and distract from the aching sadness of the music.
There is a psychedelic and gothic darkness to Maya and like Grouper and Tiny Vipers she has found her own sound. Varying it enough to last a full album would be a challenge, so at this stage she has been wise to chose the 10†format for her swirling funereal drones.
Chris Familton
