Maggie Koerner
Upstate
***and1/2 out of *****
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Maggie Koerner's fourth album, titled Upstate, is a searching travelogue of heartbreak, pain, and abusive relationships, as Koerner is clearly trying hard to come out of it all stronger.
Musically things take a darker sound overall to deal with these weighty topics as the album opens with "Jesus Christ Boi". The tune is slow building, a rising rock sound that teeters on the edge of exploding, but never does. While the music on the record is nuanced and textured (mainly blues based Americana throughout) it is Koerner's vocals that are the true centerpiece of the album and the opening track showcases her dynamic range.
The ominous "Oaxaca" sets the scene for anger and hurt released from her lyrics/vocals as Koerner sings/yells about dark times in her life and abusive relationships while "Belly Of A Whale" is the flipside to that, an unadorned heartfelt love song during which Koerner sings just as passionately. Not just playing the role of Jonah, Maggie also talks about all the places she goes, around weepy strings and excellent rhythms, during "Mississippi". The river itself, and her home state of Louisiana, are core to Koerner's songs and sound.
Bass and drums anchor both the acid trip remembrance of "Sarah's Farm" and "Breakdown" which finds Koerner almost rhyming as the tune takes a slice of hip-hop into the fold. The swaying blues of "You're Home" with searching lyrics are right in Koerner's wheelhouse, but it is "Way Down" that shines brightest here. The pleading tune that deals with pain and hurt is a glorious duet with David Shaw from The Revivalists as the straight ahead strumming finds Koerner's killer vocals mixing expertly with Shaw.
Maggie Koerner's solid Upstate ends with a pairing of songs that run the gamut. "DMT" is an ethereal duet with Hans Williams as their voices float in space and explore the cosmos while the instrumental closer "Keep Your Heroes Handsome" is a come down song that can be a bit scary, overwhelming, but also joyful and pretty beautiful, just like life.
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