Maisie Johnson’s Self-Titled EP Out Today
Today see’s the release of the self-titled EP from Maisie Johnson. If you’ve followed Belles and Gals from the start, you’ll know all about Maisie, an artist we regularly featured, the latest piece being a review of her ‘Sixteen’ EP back in 2017 – Maisie also appeared at one of our live events at the Basement Door.
Fast forward four a half years and now the UK based singer-songwriter is back with four new tracks.
The EP opens up with ‘Bend Not Break‘, a thoughtful and engaging opener. The song is one about looking back at a relationship from many years before and wondering what could happen if you met up with that person again, a person that the singer feels she has unfinished business with. The song is a wondering one, with ‘what if’ the main thought /question behind it. The final lyrics of the track are ‘It’s not too late, it’s bend not break’, which leave that door open, for now and into the future.
‘The Dark‘, as the title might imply, is a deep meaning and the standout track of the EP. The song is about another relationship, although this one, unlike in the previous track, there is no coming back from. The song is almost like an open letter to the other. Lyrics such as ‘Guess I’m the fragile and the broken, that you’ve been running from, that I do hope you’ll have to face, so you live with half a heart, but don’t come crawling when you tear yourself apart‘ show the depth of the song, with the final words at the end of each chorus bringing the title into the foreboding message of the track.
It’s already clear, two songs in, that there is a real maturity around the songwriting of Maisie Johnson, with her pure and crystal clear lyrics giving each song an emotive edge that brings them to life.
‘Dear You‘ is a look back a year on from a relationship, with a realisation and an understanding of where it went wrong, looking inside herself instead of blaming the other. The song is framed around writing a letter to that other, which gives the song an almost timeless feel – this could be a historical lament from any era. ‘This bridge that we’ve crossed, to being strangers once again, oh I wish it didn’t hurt so, but I guess it brings the winter to an end‘ is a perfect end.
‘Birdsong‘ ends the EP, a gorgeous short two and a half minute track, that mixes wonderful mentions and images of nature and clever lyrics around a song about another flying the nest. With thousands of miles between the two protagonists of the song, you wonder if this track is a similar message to the same subject of the EP opener, maybe at a different time.
Put together, these four songs about love and loss create a series of different pictures of heartfelt love, remorse, longing and moving on. This is a wonderful EP from Maisie Johnson and it’s incredible to see her back.
Check out the EP below:
