Mae Powell - “Where Will Love Go?”
Photo by Marisa Bazan
San Francisco-based singer-songwriter Mae Powell arrives on the blog with the confessional, breakup-inspired “Where Will Love Go?”
This track utilizes an authentic sense of nostalgic bliss, relying quite heavily upon natural talent instead of mainstream, commercially widespread production tactics. Powell has such wonderful control over her voice that the listener cannot help but imagine it imbedded within a 1940s musical masterpiece, which is extremely apparent in the song’s onset.
Strewn over the top of chords dished out by a lone piano, Powell ponders where to place love and desire when faced with the demise of a relationship. And while heartache and pain are marvelous precursors for many a song, “Where Will Love Go?” seems to deliver this time-tested message in a vintage-imbued, yet fresh musical vehicle– one that is bound to have you immediately hooked.
This vulnerable vibe dramatically shifts around the one-minute mark with the arrival of the rhythm section, as a smooth shuffle reveals an upbeat and hopeful twist to the arrangement. In addition to some vibrant textures of an organ and a retro-tinged electric guitar, subtle layers of auxiliary vocals emerge around midpoint to pad the production.
“Where Will Love Go?” definitely leans into the pop end of the musical spectrum, but stands in a class of its own that embodies the sweetest sounds of yesteryear. And it is this very characteristic that will leave you wanting more, so we suggest giving the tune more than its fair share of daily spins.