The EP, “Chiaroscuro,” by Maureen Toth is a shining star within the indie folk genre which echoes the deep dichotomy of recent times. Maureen Toth’s silky voice provides refuge in five tracks, each note is a siren song, and all the melodies are imbued with American tradition.
Maureen Toth’s music is not only heard but felt. The pluck of strings sounds like footsteps in an ancient forest—nature’s own rhythms travelling in time to interweave them with modern-day sensibilities. It is here where “Chiaroscuro” finds its footing: at the juncture of yesterday’s rustic nostalgia and today’s intimate revelations.
The EP acts as an auditory journal on human resilience amidst despair and a timely story inspired by Italy’s silent streets during lockdown. The pace of each song is slow, and they all lull you to a point of introspection, especially when silence covers the cities that used to be busy.
Production-wise, there is wizardry at play beneath the simplicity. Subtle layering leaves room for the elements to breathe – the strumming guitar caresses your awareness while sweet tunes draw lines onto an invisible canvas, where darkness dances tentatively with light.
Listeners get to move into a world—not as an escape from the actual reality but as a way of realizing it in yet another perspective,—a view that reconciles defeat with gentle optimism, similar to the way dawn kisses goodbye to the night.
“Chiaroscuro” does not demand attention, it justly earns it naturally, as if whispering stories that resonate deeply and quietly. Maureen Toth has created a space filled not only with sound but also the profound essence seldom captured in such an eloquent way for the fans of Bon Iver and Iron & Wine who seek shelter through music that holds you close and leads you bravely into meditation.
Follow Maureen Toth on Website, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
