I really didn't expect to like this one as much as I do. Both Ways Brighter from Bay Area singer-songwriter Mae Powell is NOT another in a line of po-faced offerings from someone with a guitar. The melodies here are lush and complex, and the vocals as warm as they can possibly be. This new Park The Van release is sure to charm anyone willing to jettison irony in favor of enthusiasm.
Mae Powell's vocals occupy a space that's not too far removed from the combined styles of Rickie Lee Jones, Edie Brickell, and Colleen Green. But, Mae's far too unique to get saddled with those simple comparisons. While "Let's Talk" is an invigorating, catchy ramble, the more complex "Magick Love" seems a cousin to numbers from U.K. acts like Penelope Isles. Powell is interested in texture, and for every cut here on Both Ways Brighter that is a buoyant singalong, there's likely another that's full of more shades and meanings.
Where this album surprises is with numbers such as "We Are The Ones", a down-tempo anthem. Sure, it's rallying cry for causes, but it's also a helluva of a good tune. Powell's touch is light and assured, and what could be strident in other hands, is airy and direct here. I think so much of Both Ways Brighter works in a similar fashion, upending expectations of what a singer-with-a-guitar can do. Anchored by arrangements that are subtle and clever, the compositions here are easy to love. Mae's heart is in the right place too, with the sentiments of the lyrics here saying things that need to be said, even if it's with a wonderful deftness.
Both Ways Brighter is out Friday on Park The Van.
[Photo: Holiday Hagan]