On March 28, the singer-songwriter Maia Luna Munichiello (MaiaLuna) released her second album, Horizons.
The album’s sound is gentle and folksy, perfect for staring out a window at some light rain. The instrumentation is mostly based around MaiaLuna’s acoustic guitar, with soft synths and strings to fill out the background. She uses minimal vibrato, and her voice has an earthiness to it that makes her music sound open and honest.
“Blisters” is a meditation on an unsatisfying relationship that feels like a lyrical sequel to Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” Its chorus emphasises how tired the narrator is after months of this relationship, as MaiaLuna sings “Now I’ve got blisters on my feet from chasing you around… these shoes were made for walking, but my feet are pretty tired.”
“When You Arrived” is more upbeat, but still feels appropriate for a quiet afternoon indoors. MaiaLuna sings about a new relationship where she finally feels comfortable. With lines like “Oh, baby, oh, baby, I need someone that doesn’t wanna change me / ’Cause lately, oh, lately, I need something that isn’t gonna break me,” and “the sun came out when you arrived,” MaiaLuna’s writing is beautifully understated, conveying her complex feelings without getting bogged down in too much metaphor.
While the songs themselves range from discussing romantic relationships in “Rebecca” and “Sweet Tooth” to reflecting on her songwriting and performances in “Woodstock” and “Jackpot,” Horizons maintains a cohesive feeling through its instrumentation. Other than the synth organ that only appears in “When You Arrived,” there isn’t much variation in the sound of the individual songs. This works, given the modest length of the album.
In seven tracks, Horizons shows the range of MaiaLuna’s songwriting, all the while feeling like her voice is holding your hand and giving you a nice cup of tea.
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