At the beginning of August, Maria Wilman released her debut LP, Dark Horse,  which is chuck full of interesting melodic creations, that stray from modern music’s tried and true formulas. That is an excellent thing! Mastermind (seen/heard here) is one of the singles from the new LP. Maria has a beautiful alto voice that she uses at times with a Grace Slick or Chrissie Hynde sort of slide-in bent-note instrument. In fact, Maria Wilman has more in common with those historic artists than any at the top of the charts today. That said, Wilman is no clone! She has a style all her own. Wilman stays within the pop-rock genre and excels there. 

Mastermind is one of just a few slower numbers on Dark Horse, and like the rest of this project, is a gem: 

“As I pull the faded pictures
That I keep inside my drawer,
All becomes a distance mixture,
Faces, places, simply stored.

What we remember,
Will lose its splendour,
Like the day to night surrenders.
Leaving only what’s for real,
A true contender.

Versions of so many different takes,
Fools us to believe it’s all new,
Parallels that fit all shapes,
Everybody owns their view”

It’s a lovely song about what is important at the time, and how that importance may dwindle over the passage of time. 

From a production standpoint, Dark Horse may be pushed just a little too hard dynamically, but the vocals are always clear and at the forefront. That is the most important factor for an artist such as Wilman because the lyrics are beautifully crafted. It is nice to be able to hear them above the mix. As debut LPs go, this is one of the best I’ve heard in some time. Vodka admits to being short of time here, or I would give a track-by-track breakdown. That said, Dark Horse is an adventurous outing from a singer-songwriter, making a brave new career move in her 50s. Is the industry ready for Maria Wilman? I’m not sure, but Vodka certainly is!

You can find more information on Maria Wilman by heading up to her nicely formatted website.  Nearly everything you need is there (social, streaming, some purchase links). There’s even an extensive biography there. The one thing that is missing is her bandcamp.com link. Pick up a copy of Dark Horse at that last link, if you are like Vodka and still like physical as well as digital content. 

It is too soon to see if the industry will embrace Maria Wilman’s music, but you can start the trend by streaming or purchasing her music now!