‘…To have encapsulated the absurdity of mortality and the ways in which we reckon with it in such a whimsical yet emotive manner is something that only an artist in the truest sense could achieve…’
Born in Santa Cruz and based out of Liverpool, Maia Rowan is a jazz-influenced alternative pop singer and frontwoman of Maia Rowan & The Yellows. Having last released music in 2021, Rowan has been hard at work behind the scenes on her debut record, which looks at her mother’s battle with cancer, and the concepts of hope and escapism. This past month has seen Rowan finally return to releasing music, with her third and latest single, ‘Big Yellow House‘.
Both strikingly vulnerable and surprisingly theatrical, ‘Big Yellow House‘ is a whimsical yet bluesy number that would not go amiss on a Broadway production. Built around a backbone of Rowan’s jaunty yet wistful piano playing, the track sweeps and soars by with gently twanging acoustic guitars, feathery flutes, and rousing strings. The manner in which the track ebbs and flows, building towards choruses that strike like sunrise, is guaranteed to induce shivers in even the burliest of souls. Furthermore, the mixing and mastering is perfectly executed, with every element permitted space to shine, and coming together to create a whole that is warm, rich, and perfectly complimentary to Rowan’s vocals.
The track shines even brighter upon looking at Rowan’s lyricism and delivery. There is an abstract, imaginative quirkiness to it all that perfectly captures the anxiety of existence; this is Rowan yearning to return to a time before the concepts of tragic accidents and misfortune were present in her cognition. Whimsical, almost absurd lines such as ‘Dad said ‘your heart won’t stop like the cat’s heart stopped’/But I still won’t use the towel that it died on‘ and ‘I’d stay awake until I’m too tired to be scared I’d die in my sleep/Cause who am I to put my trust in an electric meat machine?‘ are delivered with wit, vulnerability, and bittersweet nostalgia, coalescing into a hazy experience that makes you feel deeply, without truly being able to pin down what that feeling is.
To say that what Maia Rowan has achieved here is a magical experience would not do the track justice. ‘Big Yellow House‘ is undoubtedly one of the finest musical releases of this year, and is certain to resonate deeply with those who have dealt with anxiety, OCD, and existential dread. To have encapsulated the absurdity of mortality and the ways in which we reckon with it in such a whimsical yet emotive manner is something that only an artist in the truest sense could achieve. Make sure you give this track a listen, but perhaps buy a box of tissues first.
For Fans Of: Black Country, New Road, The Oh Hellos, Regina Spektor,
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