Crafting Melancholic Hits from Woodblock and PrintMaking

Japanese-American singer and songwriter, Maria Maita-Keppeler, has been captivating audiences with her delicate story-telling, catchy indie hits and uproar of melancholic melodies since her 2020 debut Best Wishes. Since the formation of her band MAITA, this group has received numerous awards and recognitions, including “50 albums that define Oregon” and Willamette Week’s 2020 “Best New Band.” The band’s latest LP Want brings with its past awards a new style and submergence into the heart-aching and gripping personal tale of a long-term relationship in turmoil. Maria takes, with pride, their inspiration from Japanese woodblock-making and strips all necessities till reaching the core of musical theme and design. MAITA, as a whole, bolsters these tracks with a courageous expedition of sound and technique, bridging new ways to express heartache, loss, and agony with vibrant and sharp melodies. Want, a true masterpiece in sound and personal expression, emphasizes each musical experience to its fullest, drawing out a crafted and intricate narrative that delves not only into the deepest parts of heartbreak and sadness, but overall speaks to mastery of musical craft, style and execution.

The first track, “Girl at the Bar,” introduces the audience to the main focus of MAITA’s heavy stripping of any fluff found in current music. The first seconds of this track echo with Maria’s high-pitched vocals relaying their breathy style. The emergence of a single electric guitar strumming down, adds in more depth as each of the two parts dance around each other, revealing the beginning craft and style the listener will soon experience. This two-way dance occurs till the drums bring a sudden and continuous thump, and without warning, the lyrics “Become a stranger” reveals a sudden burst of indie rock. The drums and guitar ring heavy and loud, catalyzing the awesome riffs and melodies, until emerging solos quickly barge in and then die out in beautiful fashion. The crafting of “Girl at the Bar” foreshadows the long hours of numerous delicate pieces moving in and out to create one grand portrait. Suddenly, the change in melody motifs among a slight introduction of a harmonic ring of another instrument, or finally the chanting of the various personal experiences, like “Walk around me the neighborhood / The days take on a different hue, / And it was to you a place to rest your weary mood,” crystallize together to make a perfect composition. The sudden shifts and turns create what could be a splattered mess into a grand landscape, drawing in itself each aspect of otherwise previously told sadness and heartache into a new sound and melody never before experienced.

The sound of this LP varies tremendously — diving its hands into acoustic versions, rock songs and overall indie expression of the personal tragedies of life. The second track, “break up song x3,” hits in with high plucking of guitar strings, introducing a wide variety of piano and other harmonics. Within each tune of this LP is a truly unique experience, while curtailing to the theme and sound of the whole album, the wide variety of turns and twists within each song keeps a similar palette, but paints each stroke a vibrant and new color. This is perfectly explained in the ethereal vocals whispering and drawn-out, hushed melodies beneath in “break up song x3,” which in turn vary tremendously from the track’s original verses of amazing vocals that push up and down in pitch with sudden movements. The next track, “cold light,” varies again with its repeated long push of the word “cold,” which allows its vocals to breathe in — out of the surrounding sound, almost slowly drowning within the more bass-feeling guitar. From either a melody switch or a fast pace tempo, do not be afraid to find something new and exciting within each track as they bridge out and captivate each listener with every second passed.

Not only is their great diversity within each tune, but the LP Wants greatly plays with its style and format, bolstering the already meticulously creative endeavor to new heights. With an insanely experimental interlude, titled “ellipsis,” to the acoustic masterpiece of “waking up at night,” this LP scatters and picks out each viable and exciting tone and theme for the audience to find. “Almost keeps me alive” highlights such mastery with its acoustic skills and amazing sound. The lead singer’s haunting voice cries out with lyrics like, “I don’t know what you look like anymore / In the morning light I watch your body / Try see you in, as a stranger,” only to have a simple acoustic strum steadily behind. The guitar keeps its simple tune, unlike previous tracks, but captivates immensely with its full sound and down strokes till the audience can’t stop but fall in its trance. The layering of Maria’s voice with a more breathy and high-pitch version suddenly lays over: “I find it cruel you show your face but not stay.” The fast tempo brings change within the acoustic, the harmonies rise in the backdrop, only to suddenly fall back to the original chorus that already tears into the heart like loneliness does. Within this new and exciting adventure, the audience is not only introduced, but swept away by a new and gorgeous theme created by the group.

While each of these gripping and captivating emotional moments delves in and wraps the listener in with full might, other songs like “I don’t want to kill you” can juxtapose its depressing theme with catchy and memorable rock tunes. “I don’t want to kill you” bridges each moment of indie with rock, bouncing back and forth between a more experimental harmony of sadness to a sudden bridge of uproarious guitar that is found in classic rock. Within the first moments of the song, the divide can be heard and easily loved with its vocals ranging and dancing between the sudden thrash of the guitar. Being one of the last tracks of this LP, it carries with it that sarcastic and almost fun outlook of the devastating moments. The complex mix of playfulness, of its subject and matter of sadness, moves lyrics “break your body into two,” over a cascading scale that sounds super alluring and satisfying to hear. It’s decided mode highlights the overall appeal of the LP as a whole, dictating the design and value of breaking beyond forms and bridging otherwise two different modes and emotions into one complex tale. Songs like “I don’t want to kill you” can bring forward a new idea of how truly powerful and memorable crafting a song can be.

The absolute mastery of this LP highlights the upward trajectory of MAITA and their infused delicacy of crazed indie rock sound. From the smallest seconds of silence to the full roar of guitar solos and screams, Want brings with it an undying and bold expression of the most personal of subjects. From the chilling vocal, melody and tempo switches, to the absolute experimentation within what indie rock holds.

Hopefully, with the future awards and current shows leading this group, the audience and more can receive similar masterpieces and artistic discovery only available by these truly gifted artists. In the meantime, the audience will appreciate this delicate narrative crafted by the more ingenious side of art, bridging forward a truly creative and remarkable experience very few will ever likely hear again.