Maya de Vitry – All My Faith
This is a creative-sounding singer-songwriter effort with little in the way of being totally different or innovative. But, & that’s a big but,…Ms. de Vitry is a practitioner of following her own muse & sculpts a sound derived from many past sources while being ebullient & creative. Much the same way as the late Laura Nyro was in her day. Maya’s voice is penetrating, yet possesses a keen tonality of experience, & musicality with no deficiency in planting pensive, well-formulated music & lyrics in ears fortunate enough to be within listening distance.
The title track “All My Faith” is followed by “Coin In My Soul,” & both are lovely songs. Originally from Pennsylvania, the Nashville-based Maya creates a luscious landscape between those tunes & then goes deeply rural in “Bachelorette Lessons,” with a country-tinted vocal. Genuine & cerebral. Good fun lyrical brushings, well-arranged & hell, she’s entertaining.
All My Faith (Drops July 24/Mad Maker/41:25) is Maya’s 5th LP & it features 10 songs produced by Maya (vocals/acoustic guitar) & recorded by 5-time Grammy Award-winning engineer Sean Sullivan in TN. It’s an impeccable showcase of smart songs captured with delicacy & skill. Maya explores themes of commitment, different kinds of relationships, the act of healing, & having wisdom through songs that are powerful with expressive vocalizing.
Maya isn’t without her moments of rock coherency as she applies her lyrical individuality to “Adaptation.” Gnarly lead guitar over the clarity of acoustic guitars; a slight pedal steel guitar torrent coiled tightly in a surreal-sounding musical atmosphere. Quite compelling. And here is where the serenity becomes acute. Maya falls back into a purer vocal on the sparkling “Nobody Else.” This has all the beautification that had been the domain of artists like Heather Nova (“London Rain, Nobody Heals Me Like You Do,” & “Heart & Shoulder”), Cindy Bullens (LP – “Somewhere Between Heaven & Earth”), & Eleanor McEvoy (“Only a Woman’s Heart”), which puts Ms. de Vitry in excellent company.
Just when I thought that last song was the highlight, “Confidence of the Sun” follows & it has that alchemy as well. It’s a song that has no artificial ingredients. Maya’s folkier dives are clear in the serene “Traveller,” (sic) a story-song that’s well-crafted & performed. The album has no false moves; it’s filled to the brim with fluid performances, superb vocals, & excellent musicianship.
Highlights – “All My Faith,” “Coin In My Soul,” “Bachelorette Lessons,” “Adaptation,” “Nobody Else,” “Confidence of the Sun,” & “Traveller.”
Musicians – Jo Schornikow (keys/piano), Spencer Cullum (pedal steel), Ethan Ballinger (electric & electric tenor guitar/mandolin/Trautorium), Ethan Jodziewicz (electric, upright & Fretless electric bass), Shelby Means (harmony vocals), Joel Timmons (acoustic guitar/harmony vocals), & Dorn Billett (drums).
An 8pp stitched lyric insert is included. Color image courtesy of Ethan Jodziewicz. CD @ Bandcamp & https://www.mayadevitry.com/ & https://www.dreamspider.net/portfolio/maya-de-vitry/