Mal Blum is a singer/songwriter and musician from New York, who is openly Transgender and Queer, and produces authentic and earnest, folk and punk infused music that feels both deeply personal and yet relatable. I have reviewed Mal’s music previously, and I’ve loved what they’ve produced thus far, you can check out my other reviews here. But today, I will be reviewing their EP ‘Ain’t It Nice’ which was released on 15th April 2022.
‘Stockpiled Guns & TV Dinners’ kicks things off nicely, with an ambient guitar and percussion infused melody that evokes a country feel. Blum’s voice is deep and rich, and just catches you and grabs hold from the get go. I already knew I was going to like this EP but even I was surprised by how quickly I was captivated by this track. It’s got quite a subdued energy but it doesn’t waste a second, and I got so caught up in the vibe that I almost didn’t realise that it was over.
‘Candy Bars & Men’ gives us a soft acoustic guitar, and some heavy vocals from Blum, and can I just say I love their voice, it has a comforting quality, a softness and a roughness counterpointing one another to create something I’d never tire of listening to. I like that this track maintains the softer energy and vibe of the previous track, and you just kind of get carried along with it. I really liked the heavier bass driven notes towards the end, they really fleshed out the melody and added to the overall performance.
‘Everybody Loves You (ft Laura Stevenson)’ kicks off with vocals at the forefront, a guitar playing subtly as an undercurrent, and I find myself falling deeper in love with the melody, and tenor of their voice. Although there isn’t a weak track on this EP, this is perhaps my favourite, it just really resonated with me. I also liked the vocal harmonies and counterpoint between Blum and Stevenson, who work together well. This album is fresh out, but I’m not ashamed to say I’ve had this track on repeat since I first heard it.
‘Anybody Else’ picks things up, guitars and vocals working in concert, and while I have stated that the previous track is my personal favourite, this one is a close second, and I think it’s entirely because it had the strongest vocal performance on the EP. Which is even more impressive because they’ve all been very strong. I think I also liked that this track was very simple and streamlined, you have little to focus on beyond an uncomplicated melody and the pure lyricism and melodic vocals.
‘Hollywood’ also leads in with guitars and vocals working together, but the guitars I felt were particularly strong in this track, pacing and percussion all blend together to create a performance that is both simple and deep. I got lost in this track, even when it picked up, the percussion adding energy and gusto to the track. I could honestly listen to this on repeat.
‘The Road’ is a strong track to finish up on, softer but with a little more energy and momentum than the past few entries. Listening to this one, I am amazed, and I’m so glad I happened upon Mal Blum because in their music I find something special and I’m always excited to hear more. I don’t usually do this, but thank you for this, thanks for all the music!
So that’s what I thought of Mal Blum’s EP ‘Ain’t It Nice’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. While you’re at it, make sure and support the artist by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/
Off the Record is and always will be a free platform, but if you like what we do here and want to contribute to the production of future content then you can do so by donating to our PayPal or Ko-Fi.
Off the Record 