Maisie Johnson ‘Sixteen’ E.P. Review
Maisie Johnson is a young UK artist we’ve certainly tagged as ‘one to watch’ in the last couple of years. Earlier this year, we interviewed both Maisie and her good friend, and fellow artist Emily Frith at the C2C festival (watch the interview here) and now we’re delighted that Maisie has recorded her debut EP. The EP is called ‘Sixteen’.
The first track on the EP is ‘I Wish’. The song is stripped back with a gentle guitar track in the background, giving the focus fully to Maisie’s vocals. This almost stark production adds to the sad and ‘tough to let go’ sentiment to the song, while also giving ‘I Wish’ a captivating feel.
‘Fast Lane’ appropriately sees the tempo rise. The song is about going through a tough time emotionally, drawing strength from the situation and moving on. Lyrics such as ‘I took a step back, let myself start living through the day, I saw what’s out there, when you turn out of the fast lane’ do a fine job of showcasing the song-writing ability of Maisie.
The title track comes next and this is a personal highlight. ‘Sixteen’ sees the singer telling a friend that she is worth so much more than the way another is making her feel. ‘Sixteen’ has a killer chorus, which you’ll be playing in your head long after the song has finished. Yes, the song features pain in a relationship, but the real theme of this song is about the friendship between two people – which gives this fantastic track an uplifting feel.
The final track on the EP is ‘This Town’. This last song sees the singer asking for clarity in a relationship – are you staying around or not? Lyrics such as ‘All that I know is that I was passing the days, and I’d given up on hoping you’d stay, then you came around like you were never away’ tell the story of the song. All throughout the song she is asking the ‘not yet a man’ to stay or leave. However, the last line of the song tells us that the singer has made up her mind about which she’d prefer.
Physical copies of the EP (which can be ordered online and purchased at gigs) will also contain a cover of Brandi Carlile’s ‘I Will’. This is a great complement to the EP, which really showcases Maisie’s vocals.
Having heard Maisie for the first time a couple of years, I’ve been particularly looking forward to this debut release from the London based singer. And the EP has certainly been worth waiting for. Maisie has proven she is a highly accomplished songwriter, while her vocals are strong and expressive. The EP also shows that Maisie has a versatility in her music, with influences from country, folk and country pop all appearing. ‘Sixteen’ is a fine debut from Maisie Johnson.
‘Sixteen’ is released tomorrow (Friday 1st December) and you can pre-order/order it here
