Album review: Maple Glider’s second album ‘I get into trouble’ is an enchanting exhibit of skepticism and emancipation curled in the warmth of dulcet tones

When we hear Maple Glider we are immediately shifted to a world far away from the hullabaloo. The hapless shades of conflicting emotions camouflaged with pretty tones have found its place again in the upcoming album of the Naarm/Melbourne based folk pop artist. A beautiful marriage of melancholic vocals and intrepid lyrics, this creation is a sonic delight for those pensive moments in your autumn evenings. ‘I Get Into Trouble‘ the second album by Maple Glider – a moniker for the singer songwriter Toni Zietsch – releases on 13^th October with Pieater in Aus/NZ, and Partisan records globally, two years after her quite successful debut album.

We often find ourselves in a progressive environment where acceptance matters, but the perennial need to live in restrictive norms for societal satisfaction still punctuates many households. Being an independent thinker, Tori from a very young age of 14 plucked out the uncomfortable needles of orthodox values and made music her haven. ‘I Get Into Trouble’ is smeared with evocative emotions of yearnings and pain that she seemed to have tucked away in her quietness for years. Finally embracing the comfort of sharing her realities with fans, this album cracks the hard shells of consent and shame. The new single from the album ‘Two Years’ with fuzzy guitars by Adam Heath is a worth mention. The song travels through different time signatures and yet cohesively emotes the melancholy of being trapped in a saturated relationship. Spilling a poignant atmosphere, ‘I Get Into Trouble’ fits aptly in the trail that was built in the debut album ‘To Enjoy Is The Only Thing.’ The dewy synth notes and the snazzy percussions by Jim Rindfleish makes the album boast of just that fine embellishment it required.

The beauty of indie artist Maple Glider lies in her lyrical boldness of penning hard realities and wrapping it with saccharine music. In the song ‘Dinah’ which is another single from her upcoming album she writes:

So I’ve been in the church making sure no one’s looking up my skirt/ But I do not feel safe here/ I wanna feel alive/ Do you thrive knowing that our God favours you over me dear daddy?

Although it screams of the discomfort she felt in the vicinity of desperate eyes, she puts its across with soft woozy vocals, trippy hooks and a quirky music video that renders a foot tapping number.

The transparency of sharing her qualms with her listeners is what makes her unique. “It’s kind of just a natural way of writing for me,” says Zietsch, “if it doesn’t feel like honest to me, then I don’t really connect with the song and then I don’t really see the point of it.” In another song ‘FOMO’ she pens down:

My bank account’s not healthy and neither’s my sex life

Australian record producer and songwriter Tom Iansek who was on mixing duties has deftly crafted the acoustic and pop elements. The record sounds mushy, delicate, and soul stirring all at the same time.

Maple Glider’s fragile voice coupled with flattering arrangements make ‘You’re gonna be a Daddy’ a gratifying listen. It explores the bliss of achievements and the pangs of regret. Popping in pink and polaroid textures she pulls up a charming feat in her music video ‘You’re gonna be a Daddy’ with Stubz, the unicorn and sings:

You’re gonna be somebody’s dad/ and I’m gonna be on somebody’s platform/ Playing songs that I wrote about you/ But I don’t know anything

The writing journey of ‘I Get Into Trouble’ saw myriad sentiments and convoluted phases of Zietsch’s life. Ultimately it culminated into this canvas of a broken soul seeking the optimistic embrace of peace. “You know, it helps clean the brain out and allows me to sort of deal with things and understand things better.” says Zietsch.

After playing sold out shows in London and Brighton, UK, Maper Glider is making a splash in the last few days of Europe summer with her outstanding performances in Paris, Berlin, and Brussels. Her UK/Europe tour wraps up at the Reeperbahn Festival on 22^nd September in Hamburg, Germany. This October the shelves in record shops will boast this new album’s lavish neon pink vinyl and a CD with a 12-page lyric booklet. Her other singles from the same album ‘Don’t Kiss me’ and ‘You at the Top of the Driveway’ doesn’t fall short of impressing her fans.

‘I Get Into Trouble’ is that bittersweet potion of pain and hope, and the mellifluous vocal nature of this indie singer makes every song in this album enchanting and warm. Battle those blues with this easy listen.

Maple Glider will be seen touring in Australia and the US till December – details and tickets available here.