The Kennedys are one of the most upbeat, positive and hard-working duos around, difficult to pin down stylistically, Pete & Maura blur the boundaries between folk and pop, and make albums that are both surprising, challenging and accessible. ‘Parade of Echoes’ is Maura’s first solo album, and one that musically proves to be both a natural extension of the duo’s work, but also an album with a very distinct lyrical character and identity.
This identity comes from the fact that Maura wrote and produced the album in one year – challenging herself to write and record one song a month throughout 2009.  The results are a 13 track album (the 13th song is a co-write with Pete) that comes across almost as a diary piece that shares the highs and lows of the year with the listener.  It’s brave that the lyrics don’t pull many punches, and she exposes her own thoughts and self-doubt in places in some revealing and thoughtful pieces.

While all this may sound a little down and introspective, Maura is confidently self-aware and there’s a feeling of poise and self-belief across the album; this confidence is reinforced by the arrangements and approach to the music. While most singer/songwriters would have tackled the songs in an exclusively acoustic manner, ‘Parade of Echoes’ is a much fuller aural experience with layered vocals, guitars, percussion and more.

All the instrumentation and production throughout the album has been provided by Maura with the exception of the very occasional instrumental support on the odd track from Pete, this is pretty much all Maura, all of the time.

Where the Kennedys show their influences in the songs, this album is a little more difficult to pin down – it goes from acoustic guitar tracks, to distorted guitars, to big power pop chords and all the way back again.  It’s certainly an eclectic mix, and it’s easy to relate the album to a bustling metropolitan city (it was written and recorded in New York), but it all gels together with Maura’s clear and timeless vocals that adapt to styles effortlessly.
What she has brought in from the duo is the instantly memorable hook, all the songs here are melody packed and then lead into even better choruses.  It makes the album instantly appealing and a collection that works on many levels.

Track listing
1 The Thing With Feathers
2 New Way to Live
3 Sun Burns Gold
4 Chains
5 Patience
6 Time Will Steal Your Heart
7 October
8 Just the Rain
9 Some Kind of Life
10 Dreamless Sleep
11 Make it Last
12 Summer Coulda Lasted Forever
13 Shadows with the Lonely

£12.99