We Make Fire, They Make Smoke

We Make Fire, They Make Smoke by MAVERICK SMITH is a project that plays with tone and genre like it’s an instrument. As effortlessly as they embellish a moment with a run on the guitar, they’ll switch their tonal core to explore a narrative in the most candid and pure way possible. It is refreshing to find a project that is so tonally diverse without losing the essence of what makes it unique. I’m impressed by its ability to convey a message without compromising its melodic identity. The first track, Sinking Feeling, opens with this indie-pop experience.

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Through layers of vocal harmonies, the track develops its deeply emotional core. The voice is used more like an instrument here than a tool to convey the story. The harmonies explore the high end of the track’s sonic tapestry, providing a sense of levity that contrasts this feeling of melancholy expressed through the lyrics. The vocal performance does a brilliant job of walking the thin line of expressing the uncertainty of the lyrics but also leading the mix through her voice. It’s a tough balance nailed here. Keep Me Up feels like a great example of this project’s diversity. With a more rock inspired soundscape, this track is confident, unapologetic, and adventurous. The guitar is crisp, cutting through the other sonic attributes and rightfully taking centre stage in this rock banger. The vocals are also used to great effect here, with layers of harmonies amplifying them and making the listener want to sing along too, communicating a sense of unity. I’m also particularly a fan of Digital Arcade, something about the use of distortion on the guitar gives the piece a beautiful fuzz that reminded me of the nineties. It is drenched in this steezy vintage vibe that feels celebratory of the carefree attitude of that decade. This project has a tonne of variety but it goes deeper than that. MAVERICK SMITH excels at every tone they attempt, highlighting themselves as a cut above in all the different tonal landscapes they explore.