Timeless country vocals and southern rock sentiments and tones line the walls of this evocative and supremely melodic new album, from a singer and songwriter with a heartfelt and genuine approach to both performance and lyrical worth. Maddisun leads with softly paired vocal warmth and poetic yet personal explorations, as the title-track for The Pages sets us off on a uniquely creative journey.
Blending a touch of the familiar with something more notably unexpected, The Pages is a rather divine single, and marks a perfect opening chapter for the album of the same name. The melody meanders from hopeful to melancholic and back, and the ideas reflected seem authentically intimate yet also cleverly vague enough to be made relatable. It’s a fine place to start, but it far from underlines what fans can anticipate throughout these quite faultlessly crafted 12 songs.
The iconic and upbeat Pumpkin Pie immediately switches the mood, the instrumentation organic but perky, and Maddisun’s voice brighter and more energetic accordingly. This early versatility is essential, and helps lay the foundation for what feels like a best-of playlist.
Like A Rock steers towards the expressive melodic progressions and emotional poignancy of Chappell Roan, building to become a huge anthemic moment, while Good Plan lightens the mood once again – another key choice for an arrangement that consistently holds your interest.
Intertwining a clearly thoughtful wisdom as a songwriter, with a natural vocal talent and a musical backbone that’s diverse and subtly influenced by everything from southern rock to soul, pop and country, The Pages continues to provide a series of tracks both comforting and impressively original in their entertainment and emotional value alike. Get Through is a fine encapsulation of that quality fusion, an alt-pop and gritty but optimistic earworm of a highlight, and a great pathway into the deeper roots of piano ballad Open Door.
Fingerpicked acoustic guitar then paves the way for an instrumental and poetic gem that is Colours, a personal favourite, while Amber notes similarities with the country pop icons of a simpler era – something a tad Sheryl Crow-like in its indie passion and power; another favourite, but for entirely different reasons.
Conceptually there’s plenty to unpack within these Pages from Maddison – stories that connect, but also offer some new detail or reflection with each revisit. Your Muse is an apt example, and another impassioned and well-contrasted structural progression for impact. Big Star then seems to extend upon this area of thinking, for a pop-rock peak with electric guitar and another nostalgically anthemic hook.
At the penultimate moment, Maddisun shifts gears once more, for the crescendo of voices and the mellow choir momentum of a unique and loving search for Basil, a sensational alternative highlight. Then to finish, Maddisun’s storytelling concludes with a mighty instance of vulnerability and divinity. The vocals of To Heal reach supreme moments of soulful awakening, and the song is an uplifting gem that’s both an earworm and a deeply-moving, thought-provoking blanket of escapism.
Her third album to date, The Pages speaks boldly on behalf of the maturity and fearless realism, character, and talent, of singer and songwriter Maddisun. These songs are incredibly well written, and perfectly performed, with high-quality production letting their natural strengths shine brightly.
Nothing over 500 live shows under her belt, Maddisun is a force to be reckoned with right now, and the music of The Pages alone draws rightful attention to that truth.
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