After falling head over heels in love with Merival’s Soda Island collaboration with Izzard, I scoured the internet to find more of Merival’s honeyish voice. I didn’t have to look far, as I stumbled upon her 2016 EP, Lovers on Apple Music with just a few clicks. Although it was not what I expected, it definitely did not disappoint. The EP reveals its creator to be a modern, forward-thinking person with strong roots in the folk genre. Her vocal is consistent in its smooth, rich sweetness and her songwriting takes it’s listeners on unexpected twists and turns. Each of Merival’s songs is supported by masterful acoustic guitar and the synergy of elements is nothing short of magic.
Lovers is made up of five striking songs, my favourites being A Better Deal and Kicking You Out. Merival shows a beautiful vulnerability in the music she creates, weaving intricate pictures of intimate moments and drawing out complex emotions in her listeners. Although the city has my heart, for just a moment, I’m made aware of a buried desire for a life of suburban bliss when I’m listening to Kicking You Out. Something about the stark simplicity of her lyrics makes me wish I had written the words myself. I’m reminded of Austin Kleon’s idea of art as being subtraction. Merival does away with the unnecessary and what is left is a beautifully simple and emotive lyrical landscape.
Although each song is quite minimal in its instrumentation, consisting of acoustic guitar, vocals and a hint of piano, it is haunting in its melancholy complexity. Harmonies and creative vocal edits create light and darkness in each carefully crafted piece with the acoustic guitar and strong, flawless vocal trading places as the driving force of each track. Subtle echoes and layered harmonies add to the dreamy quality of the music, grounded by the live quality of the guitar recording.
Merival brings to mind Laura Marling, Joni Mitchell and Leslie Feist. It is a soothing, melancholy dream, grounded in technical skill and vocal mastery. It is relatable and awe-inspiring, fresh and nostalgic and, in the words of Noah Baumbach’s Tracy Fishko, beautiful in a way that makes you want to sound more like yourself.
I, for one, hope to hear more from Merival in 2017.
