Photo by Gioco
This Thursday, Cambridge will host two immensely talented and highly promising artists on tour from Montreal: Janette King and Maryze, who will perform along with Modern Painters. King is headlining the show, touring in support of her brand new EP 143, a “compilation of songs about love,” which marks her second release following 2015’s Electric Magnolias. Her sound draws from the landscape of contemporary R&B: beautifully textured synths harmonizing with her smooth vocals as she sings of love in all its forms.
Sure, the EP has its moments of joy, pure elation, heartache, passion, pain, etc. – everything expect from a collection of songs “about love.” But 143 asserts itself as a little more than “everything you would expect,” especially for an up-and-coming singer trying to cement herself a fanbase outside of her home of Montreal. What you might expect is a laid back collection of slow ballads; and sure, 143 delivers the soul on downtempo opener “Love Another,” but the tracks build to closer “Fool,” a deep house excursion that serves as one hell of a finale. Throughout, these songs sound like R&B from just beyond Earth’s atmosphere, and the best example of this is “Starlight,” a dreamy ballad that encapsulate those anti-gravity moments you spend alone with someone you love.
Photo by Emily Neill
She’ll be supported by fellow Montreal resident Maryze, who’s just released her own EP, Like Moons, which dropped this past Friday. Maryze’s style compliments King’s well: a similar dreamy, intimate balladry at work, though with more tinges of the smoky voices of trip-hop singers versus King’s R&B yearning. But much like 143, Maryze’s release is capable of taking us into orbit (as its title might suggest); where Like Moons differs is that it feels like messages being delivered from the middle of the relationship, where 143 feels more retrospective. Both deliver from their perspectives on an impactful emotional level. Maryze’s songwriting is always very concerned with the relationship between love and mental health, which at times can positively enforce each other, and yet at other times seem at odds. Like Moons also features Maryze singing beautifully in French on tracks like “Dis-Moi,” a soaring synth-drenched ballad. Even listeners without a lick of French will feel the sheer gut-punch as her voice lifts from the last verse to the resounding final chorus.
The group will be joined by Boston’s own Modern Painters at Lilypad on Thursday 5/2 (more info on Facebook). Lilypad’s intimate atmosphere will make this a special show to compliment a relaxing Thursday night. Check out Janette King’s video for “Starlight” below. Listen to King’s 143 and Maryze’s Like Moons on Bandcamp.