Maisy Grace - Based On A True Story (Dirty 
Lemon Recordings)
Release Date: Out now
So, this is the debut album from Maisy Grace, a Cornwall based artist that I've championed for a while on this blog, and I honestly couldn't be happier or more impressed with the evolution of her sound. 'Based On A True Story' is the sound of someone moving from guitar wielding singer-songwriter to full on, genre spanning artist with an obvious talent for crafting songs and delivering them with guile. The album opens with former single 'I Never Needed Anyone' which sounds so immediately poised, polished and full of lived emotion that you're not at all surprised when a doleful cello joins in with laid back beats and soulful vocal.
"Give me a penny for my thoughts" sings Maisy Grace while the string stabs and processed beats create a sound that is part Bond theme and part Clean Bandit on 'Break It Down' before 'Running Away' revels in those luscious strings with a little added piano to punctuate the blanket of heartbreak. The beat that opens 'Show Me' brings the energy levels up a bit but this is still a super-chilled alt-pop track with a Nordic vibe while 'Something Different' pulses and vibes with a dark, club energy made for late night adventures egged on by the breathy vocals. The slow jam of 'Reverse' marks the half-way point of the album, full of electro noises and a luxuriousness that is rarely afforded to an artist or a song in these days of algorithms and Tik-Tok attention spans.
The mood switches up dramatically on 'Circles' with a frantic drum'n'bass beat and a bass line that is, frankly, flirting so hard it needs to take a minute and have a chat with itself. Thankfully, Maisy Grace's vocals kick in with such sweet and pure command of the song that all is saved and the horns blare out in triumph. 'Feel Brand New' is a smoky, end of night slow dance of a song with a crunching beat and the perfect vocal tone but 'Don't Mess With Me' has a steely, 80s inspired confidence to it that is more akin to the Pet Shop Boys writing a tune for Robyn which I am very much here for.
The penultimate track on the album, 'How Can I Be Sorry', is a piano and beats combination that would work on any album by a more established artist but, and here's the thing, I can't think of a single artist out there at the moment producing music with this level if artistry, bravery and talent all combined. The album comes to a head on 'What Happened', a gloriously soulful and heartbroken end to the party and an incredibly mature sounding one at that. I almost want to end my listening relationship with Maisy Grace's music at this point, to preserve this moment of brilliance in this place and time. Almost, but not quite because I'm confident that this is just the start. There's more to come but let's just enjoy this for what it is, shall we?
More information: https://www.facebook.com/maisygracemusic
Live Dates:
7th July - Album Launch show @ Surfside Rum Bar, Polzeath w/Peri Rae + Woody New + Slum Shady
29th July - Rock Oyster Festival, Padstow
17th August - Summer Sessions @ the Alverton
18th August - Sunset Session @ Treyarnon Youth Hostel
25th August - Beach Farm Yard Live Music Friday