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This is a very well-crafted debut album by a talented musician who has spent a lot of time and effort building her reputation, skills and confidence via live performances and her popular YouTube channel. Streaming services, however, have been politely declined in favour of offering her audience a tangible product of lasting value. Musical production values are high by any standard, let alone a self-produced debut by a singer-songwriter with no big name or big-money backing. The CD booklet contains a good, themed original Art-Noveau-style illustration for each song. Big money would never have invested this much love and care on anything! It wouldn’t actually have invested the money either.
All of which is highly commendable, but is the music itself any good?
Well, yes, it is all is. I found the drum beat on track 4 “Do You Wanna Play” a trifle annoying but I still enjoyed the track. Mary’s voice is rich and enticing. Perhaps that voice is sometimes given more support than it needs, though?
Track 1, “You Can Have Chicago” is a “big” number by which I don’t mean either “loud” or “lengthy” but rather setting a style for the whole album which I think will find fans on both sides of the Atlantic.
Track 2, “Getaway Sun” is a quieter bus trip. (The bus, evidently, was NOT a Bristol LoDecca!)
Track 3, “One Kept Secret” has a more elaborate structure rather than a more elaborate arrangement, something which several of the following tracks share.
Track 4, has been discussed above. It’s nice, but it might be at least as nice without the drum just keeping time.
Track 5, “Make me an Offer” is gentler.
Track 6, “Church Bell” is my favourite and the mix here is suited to the style and feel of this album. It might be even better with a simpler folkish arrangement and a more Catalonian feel than American? That wouldn’t fit on this album, but might make a nice single or YouTube offering at a later date.
Track 7, “Wake Up To You” is fine, too.
Track 8, “Drop, Drop, Slow Tears, Drop” features the instrumental skills of Ariel Posen as well as Mary’s vocals and writing.
Track 9, “One to the West Coast” is another “big” number.
Track 10, “I Blame Myself” sounds nice, but the lyrics actually READ as if Mary had a near miss with a manipulative sociopath!
Track 11, “I’ll Stay Quiet” winds things up gently.
Super. Sexy. Heartbreak. By Mary Spender is available directly from the artist’s website from, I believe the 4th of October 2023, at:
https://maryspender.teachable.com/p/supersexyheartbreak
Review copyright (c) by Matthew K. Spencer 1st of October 2023.
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