I don’t know whether any of these five Amsterdam guys know or have ever known a girl called Maggie Brown that inspired them to form a band, but if that is so, they should definitely thank her. On their second album (the first, self-titled one came along in 2014), Another Place, they have come up with a prime example of Dutch pop/rock. While there are many cues they could have taken from numerous other quality Dutch bands (and in a way, they do take a few from Amsterdam stalwarts The Nits and another band named after a girl name, Daryll Ann), they are a few others that make this album a very relaxed, pleasant listen. Namely, they do take a few cues from the early Seventies West Coast harmony rock but also from the Eighties and later New Zealand, Flying Nun bands like The Clean and The Bats.
What lifts Maggie Brown from just another stylistic purveyors is the ability of Marcel Hulst, the lead singer/guitarist/songwriter to come up with a melody that holds and is able to support the excellent harmonies the band is able to come up with. On the other hand, the lyrics they come up with often handle some quite scary subjects (Plane Crash, Void) but the band is able to make them sound, well, not appealing but something that is easier to handle. It seems that melancholy and loneliness are predominant themes with Maggie Brown, both musically and lyrically but they are able to transcend any limitations that could pose and transfer those feelings to their listeners in a way that makes their music quite appealing.
And that is a matter of choice with them since they are definitely able to turn it up (maybe a bit) if they want, like on Loss vs. Weight (another sad theme, so to say), and still hold a thematic unity, both musically and lyrically. It seems another interesting band is building its musical image out of Amsterdam. Should be watched (and listened to) carefully.
