broomqueesha's Full Review: White Turns Blue by Maria Mena
18-year-old Norwegian songstress Maria Mena released her American debut, White Turns Blue, in the summer of 2004 to little mainstream applause. Although her first single was a semi-success, her album was not given the attention it deserves. With her honey-sweet voice, quirky style, and plaintive lyrics, Maria proves she is more than your average singer/songwriter. She tackles run-of-the-mill teen issues like boys and parents with a refreshing sense of positivity, yet still bares her soul in a largely low-production environment. White Turns Blue is fresh and light. Maria's open-book lyrical stylings and airy vocals perfectly compliment the simple guitars that permeate the entire record, making it a delightful listen and, in my opinion, one of 2004's best.
When I first heard that ubiquitous first single, You're The Only One, I though, what the hell is this? Maria's shy and slightly off-key vocals sound like a joke at first, but the song really grows on you. Its twinkly melody and quiet acoustic guitars are simply charming, as is Maria's delivery as she dances through this fast-paced tune. Fragile has all the makings of a Lifetime movie theme song with its fresh pop melody, plethora of guitars and background vocals, and a catchy yet simple hook: "I am fragile/I am hopeless/I'm not perfect/But I am free." It's definitely a cute song with a nice little message there and probably would have made a great college radio smash. Just A Little Bit is a more vulnerable number with soft production and a very light atmosphere of acoustic guitars percussion. Maria bares her insecurities here with short, choppy verses and a pleasant melody. Not particularly amazing, but a nice tune.
Blame It On Me has a slightly heavier sound than the majority of the record, but is nonetheless catchy. The background vocals are laid on quite a bit, but it adds to the more intense sound of the track. Electric guitars and strong drums take center stage here. My Lullaby is the simplest and most personal track on this album, which Maria penned to her mother after her parents' divorce. The production is light and a little spacey and the background vocals are very ethereal and pretty. Instrumentally, there's not much going on, which allows Maria's stripped-down delivery and honest lyrics to take the spotlight. Take You With Me is one of the loudest songs on the record and features plenty of crashing guitars and layered vocals. It's decent, but I feel it's also the weakest track on the album as its melody and overall sound is all over the place. I think Maria tries too hard to rock out on this one.
My favorite cut, What's Another Day, is absolutely wonderful. It starts out simple and lilting with just Maria and a piano, then builds momentum throughout the song as rhythmic guitars and simple drums are added into the mix. Maria offers up her strongest vocal performance here and really rails the song's message into you. It's simply great. Lose Control is another personal favorite of mine, since it has an old-school vibe to it. A good bassline and a grand piano create a jazzy vibe and the instrumental break in the middle of the song features some brilliant crunchy guitars. Maria's delivery is also a bit smoky and suits the production well. It's a very well put-together song. Shadow is a calming ballad that opens with rainfall effects and features more grand piano and guitars on the chorus. Maria's vocals are pretty and understated and the slightly more dramatic production offsets that, creating a very lovely tune with excellent lyrics. It's a nice way to slow down the record.
Your Glasses is another more rock-influenced track with loud guitars and a stronger, more attitude-driven delivery from Maria. Still, the bridge is slowed down a bit to build up towards those raucous refrains: "I always looked in through your glasses/But all I could see/Is the specter of me reflected/The empty shell of me." This tune, thankfully, has more of a melody and is more convincing than "Take You With Me." Sorry is yet another ballad, but this one is just Maria and an acoustic guitar. Her voice is soft and thin here and trails off at the end of each line, creating an innocent, sad atmosphere as she coos each word of the lovelorn lyrics. It's so delicate and simple and I love it. I was hoping the record would end on a stronger note than the somewhat unremarkable A Few Small Bruises, but it's still nice. It has the usual simple lyrics and guitars as well as a nice melody, but it's just very eh to me. It's cute with a nice lyrical concept.
There are so many young female singer/songwriters making their mark on the music industry right now and Maria Mena deserves to be one of them. White Turns Blue sets her apart from the Avrils and the Michelles because it's so simple and understated. This honey-voiced songbird's quirky vocals and acoustic guitars are really the only instruments needed to carry each tune. In the high-production music world we are currently living in, Maria Mena is a breath of fresh air. She writes about real, if predictable, issues and the styling of each individual song suits its message. White Turns Blue was one of my favorite albums of 2004 and showcases that talent doesn't mean you have to break glass with your voice or write anything particularly earth-shattering or innovative. Maria Mena keeps it simple and clean, something we need in our most complicated of worlds at the moment.
Final Rating: 4 1/2 stars, kicked up because she grabbed a guy's woo-hoo and told him it was small. And that's pretty damn cool.
Repeat: "What's Another Day," "Lose Control," and "Sorry"
Skip: "Take You With Me"
Great Music To Play While: Making your voice shake more than R. Kelly at a Girl Scout meeting and then dragging him kicking and screaming through fast streams.
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