| "Maplewood Lane
takes its pop influences up another notch, especially on the uptempo opener,
“Come What May”, which kicks off with a surprisingly rocking
alt-guitar riff and bursts into a disco-tinted beat during the choruses.
“Canadian Winters” features infectious handclaps and a hey-hey-hey
refrain that won’t leave your head for days, while the delicately
melancholic “Tears” boasts enough delay-treated guitar, swirly
keys, and boy-girl harmonies to satiate any Slowdive fan. At the
heart of it all are Rebecca’s songs and her effortless delivery of
a seemingly endless supply of lilting vocal melodies"
John Lucas, Georgia Straight "Memory and music go hand–in–hand, one recalling the other. The first time I listened to The Golden Skies EP, it conjured up images of winter nights spent in front of a hearth with close friends. The music of Maplewood Lane feels well worn, with the nostalgia of a sepia–toned print. This EP builds upon their earlier material, applying a subtle yet lush ambiance of swooping guitar effects, organs, omnichord and other instrumentation to dress–up Maplewood’s acoustic pop. Perhaps this is the problem with this album—on first listen, I could have sworn that I had heard it before. This is not necessarily a fault, as it sounds like a lot of my favorite music; I am a sucker for subdued music and this release has me locked in. Rebecca Rowan is the songwriter and vocalist, propelling the group with
her genteel voice. She carries the group, comprised of siblings from two
families, through a trio of easy three–minute pop ditties to start
off. It is with the fourth song, “Tears,” that the band is
let loose. The brooding centerpiece allows the music to run its course.
Thick atmospheric guitars quickly build to the point of domination before
the song transitions to a solid downbeat." discorder "This is swooning music for the big hearted, a soundtrack for watching
the streetlights go on at dusk…. Major labels get your chequebooks
ready. No kidding." Zulu Records |