Maria Mihailik
Maria Mihailik supported me at Croydon Folk Club last autumn, and I made a mental note to listen to her as soon as she released an album. That's happened now, and I'm delighted to say it shows huge promise. In fact, it has prompted me to dust off my writing trousers and knock a review together. It has been a while.
The album reverses into position, almost literally. The 'Intro' is a brief soundscape made from backwards tapes, delivering us decisively into the world we're about to inhabit: sixties basements, lofts, darkness and gorgeous mystery.
'Bitches' spills out first, and with it a small culture shock. As she sings “stick around motherfucker, I'm still picking the splinters out of my skin”, there are definite shades of Dylan to the delivery, albeit darker and deeper, brushing against Nico in places (although her admitted fandom of Naima Bock is probably closer to the mark). It's a great example of her brusque skill as a lyricist, too, something I’m keen to hear more of.
Luckily, 'What I Mean' keeps the same rich seam going:
I'll barter my bones
And I'll sell you my skin
I'll play into your bullshit
As long as I win
I'll be soft as a pillow
As sharp as a pin
I haven’t heard Maria citing him as an influence, but I'm hearing elements of Leonard Cohen here. The production is subtle but effective, drenched in sixties reverb, clarinets and strings fluttering up and fading away as quickly as they arrived. The effect is that of somebody unexpected walking past your window, throwing your sense of security off. Music to feel unnerved by. Gimme more.
'Would You Be Compelled?' opens with the ticking and chiming of a grandfather clock. The fingerpicking is similar to the song before it, and it threatens to be a bit samey, but the melody rises and I hear the sound of ANOHNI in the distance. Nick Drake-esque cellos ooze in and out. That's the palette we're playing with here. If that's your armful of poison, Maria Mihailik is a dangerous dealer. I'm already addicted.
'Mary', the pre-album single, opens with about as strong a first line as you'll hear this year: “Every woman I've loved has been flung down the stairs by a brother.” It’s a defiant cry, violent above the fragile band production. A piano mourns in an adjacent room and the band plays soft, trying hard not to disturb it. I'm reminded of Nick Cave during his And No More Shall We Part period, and of Dylan singing ‘Ramona’. There are so many echoes here of things I've loved. I believe original music is impossible now, but I think great music still happens all the time, and it often sparks from a myriad of other influences, picking up what's good and weaving it into a new experience. Maria and her producer, Cameron J Niven, have done that here, making seriously good music in the process.
'For You' had me convinced it was someone else's song. I looked up the credits expecting to find an overlooked gem by one of the greats. Nope, it's Maria's, and that's as large a compliment as I can offer. Nick Cave stalks the road in a rainstorm, but Maria is safely wrapped in Niven's delicate, protective production.
The ubiquitous 'Hares on the Mountain' [Roud 329] arrives next, just as it did during her live set, almost self-consciously, not quite sure what it’s doing here. It waltzes into view again, having last been seen when Fern Maddie made it her own in 2022. I wonder if Maria has heard that version. The production swirls like the mist, Niven doing a great job of pulling indistinct instrumentation from the ether, heaving against the weight of familiarity.
'Hello, My Friend' is less claustrophobic, though we're still in sixties psych-folk world. Aching strings carry it out, and the album – hunched in its own sharp-eyed brooding – drops us off at the corner. I don't know how Mihailik and Niven discovered each other, but it must be rare for an artist to find their ideal producer as early as their first album. As talented as Maria is, I'm just as keen to go and find more of her producer's work on the strength of this. This collection showcases two really striking talents and hints at an exciting future for anyone enthralled by the shimmering dark.
Maria Mihailik’s debut album is out now and can be found on all the usual streaming platforms. Find out more about her at mariamihailik.com.
