"I finally have some time to think"
Maria DeHart offers catharsis and, even more so, commiseration on her latest offering, the aptly named "Stuck In Place" that is itself part of a larger sort of group hug, her EP "Quarantunes", a collection of "comfortably crafted bedroom-pop, one that exists in liminal spaces – sun-dusted apartments, small bedrooms, and anywhere but outdoors". For me, "Stuck In Place", like all of DeHart's tracks on the EP is blessed with a sort of 90's college radio sound. part slacker, part lo-fi intoxicant, part surreal rainbows with life's shit to contend with instead of a pot of gold and , of course, part Portland. I love the easy guitar but the backing sounds that sparkly and have their own bits of soft grittiness like a grain of sand in your sushi. DeHart's vocal style swimming in layers of indie wash feels like a beautiful best friend.
DeHart points out through the songs and press stuff, the bipolar nature, the curse and blessing of having to social distance
"It was in the blurred-together, overlong, and impossibly-difficult-to-keep-track-of epoch of quarantine that DeHart dove into self-reflection. Navigating the complete lack of physical freedom afforded her freedom of a new kind – the time to explore creatively and spontaneously."
"An undertone of ambivalence permeates the record; isolation puts a strain on anyone as community-minded as DeHart is, yet her very apparent love of her craft creates a nonetheless permeable glee in her music. “Is it worth it to exist if I’m living on one room?” DeHart wonders in the closing track, singing somberly with tilting librettos over soft guitars."
And there is the rub, the past periods of quarantine, self imposed or not, has left us all more isolated but we all have had opportunities to grab and hold close. Time to get to know those we share our life with better resulting in a myriad of relationship things, learning new side hustles or maybe just a new dance.
Step in to Maria DeHart's reality, the water is fine and warm.
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
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Zeroing in yet further, new single, Obsessions, deals with letting go of a caretaker instinct. DeHart’s time at home confronted her with the realization that worrying about other people's actions could not lead to any fulfillment. “Quarantine served as a crucial time in my journey of letting go of things outside of my control and instead focusing on myself,” she says.
An up-and-comer in the Portland music scene, DeHart’s live music accolades include opening slots for well known artists MAITA, Squirrel Flower, 36?, and more. Sonically, her music is broad in scope and steep in character; comfortably crafted bedroom-pop that exists in liminal spaces like sun-dusted apartments, small bedrooms, and anywhere but outdoors.
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