Music Review: Maggie's Choice - Tale For Free

In this exploding new world of independent music, the tendency to disappear after pouring every ounce of blood and sweat into a finely polished release is almost a sure thing. Most artists and bands just can’t stomach the emotional letdown twice. Not to mention the financial drain that comes with putting it all on the line.

Then there are those indie bands that do take the sophomore leap. Maybe they scratched up enough dough from their first release, or the reviews were glowing enough to warrant a follow-up. And as is usually the case with most follow-ups, the formula calls for more of the same. After all, when you’ve been pegged for a certain sound, and people seem to like it, why change? But many times, the novelty has worn off by then and it sounds like...well...more of the same.

It’s rare for an indie band to take their music to a different place, especially when you’re trying to find your place in the music spectrum. Experimentation is usually reserved for established, big label acts.

Portland Oregon’s Maggie’s Choice apparently isn’t aware of some of these indie music guidelines. Instead of sticking with the blues-infused, rootsy rock of their 2003 self-titled debut – which caught my interest enough to write about it – they’ve gone off and released a follow-up that sounds completely different.

Tale for Free is a 6-song EP that shows the band has a thicker, more complex talent than just a propensity for bluesy guitar riffs. Showcasing the vocals of Abe Cohen and the keyboards and piano skills of Marian Hammond, Maggie’s Choice experiments with some textured sounds that blend a Moody Blues and King Crimson feel with a Mark Knopfler twang. Cohen’s voice still lends itself towards a country and folk tendency, but with strong guitar work and exceptional piano the music comes across as a smoother, more polished body of work.

Principle songwriters Cohen and Mateo Bevington pen storytelling lyrics that are seamlessly interwoven with the music’s structure and melodies. Words that could stand alone as poetry or free verse – but work beautifully within this atmospheric and spacey folk music.

A year hardly seems like enough time to mature and delve into new territory musically. But Maggie’s Choice has come a long way over the past year – and with this short EP release, I sense an intentional grouping of experimental music, perhaps material that has brewed on a back burner for a bit. Or maybe the talent runs so deeply that one particular sound won’t satisfy. Either way, I believe this band has the makings of someone that may be able to appeal to a broad scope, as well as survive the quickly changing tastes of the music listening public.

Check out this album: https://music.apple.com/us/album/tale-for-free-ep/57716623