If Half Waif’s purpose was to reflect her surroundings when writing ‘See You At The Maypole’ in its final form, she could consider it a job well done. . The 17-track album is so unrelentingly sad and emotional that it feels like it might shatter at any moment, thanks in part to Nandi Rose’s clear, piercing vocals. She utilizes a variety of sonic textures. “Big Dipper” demo style drum track. The minimalism of “Sunset Hunting”. the almost-wrong-speed hyper-pop beat of “Ephemeral Being.” And perhaps most effective of all is the synth pattern on “I-90,” which echoes the bright lights of a nighttime drive. However, a dark cloud lingers over this record. In fact, the only time it shows up on any given release is on songs closer to “March Grass,” with its upbeat drum patterns. Its lyrics reflect its tone, with songs like opener “Fog Winter Balsam Jade” (“You made me a mother”) and “Mother Tongue” (“Red water / That flowed from me”) ”) directly mentions her miscarriage. See “I’m not stuck/I’m just taking my time” from “Slow Music.” “I don’t want to talk / I just want to stay still” from “Velvet Coil”. and “I wish I was smiling/I can’t see a way out of here” from “The Museum.” ‘See You At The Maypole’ is a challenging listen, not by its sound or especially its subject matter, but in that it doesn’t arrive at the end under a black cloud, much like the record itself.
