EP Review: A Weekend in Maine by Zealyn

For my first blog post, I wanted to review an EP that I have been anticipated since the beginning of the year. I've been a fan of this artist when she was on a singing reality show called American Idol. Her current name might not ring any bells unless you've watched season 12 in which she performed under her previous name, Angie Miller. You may recognize that name and singer when she sang an original song called You Set Me Free during the Hollywood Rounds which blew the judges, as well as everyone who watched the show including me, away. She was placed third but that didn't stop her from pursuing her music journey. In 2014, she released an EP called Weathered independently which, unfortunately, was no longer available on streaming platforms.

And then in 2015, what was once Angie Miller now became Zealyn. She's now making music under a new name with a new sound. Her previous sound was pop rock but now her new songs are more into the indie electronic alternative side. That is shown on her debut EP in 2016 called Limbic System, a 7 track masterpiece produced by Aaron Marsh of Copeland that showcased a different side of her. The songs are more experimental and ambient while keeping the familiarity of her voice and lyrics. And now after 3 years, Zealyn is back with her sophomore EP. So, what do I think of A Weekend in Maine?

First of all, it is fantastic. The songs sound happier and brighter in comparison to the darker and edgier sounds from Limbic System. The majority of the songs are produced by David Burris (with the exception of Faster Now which was produced by Aaron Marsh) and I gotta say, his production is incredible. The way he chose the synths, percussion, and stuff, excellent work. Not only he is the producer, but also the co-writer of all the songs. (along with Zealyn and other co-writers like Kiah Victoria and Sleeping Lion)

Let's talk about the songs individually starting from the lead single, Enjoy Your Holiday.

Enjoy Your Holiday is a wonderful lead single to the EP. The upbeat synth-heavy track is exactly what it is, a fun breezy song to make you unwind and relax. Had a bad day? Feeling stressed out? A couple listens to the song and suddenly all that stress goes away and you're back in a great mood.

Zealyn described the track as a sexy love song and yeah, that's one way to put it. The song focused more on the mood and less on the lyrics, which were my only criticisms of this song. Despite that, Holiday is a great song to jam to.

And now to the next single, Airline Wine.

If you're put off with how underwritten the last single seems, don't worry. The next song fixes that and I feel like this is one of the better singles. The production sounds gorgeous, the lyrics are beautifully descriptive, Zealyn's vocals sound magnificent (especially on the bridge and final chorus). She described the song as a joke turned into a beautiful love song. One of the highlights in the EP.

Another highlight is a song that was originally from Limbic System but was moved to this EP instead, Faster Now.

If you've seen the season finale of Freeform's Good Trouble, you might recognize this song playing during one of the emotional scenes. Wow, what a ballad. If you miss Zealyn's old sound, you will love this song. Stripped-down piano accompanied by different strings and a breakdown with lyrics about how it's okay not to be okay and being hopeful when you feel like quitting. In an interview from heirwaves in which she said the song is extremely vulnerable to her, Zealyn described it as self-medication from the pressures of songwriting and the music industry. I can relate to this song and I nearly cried listening to it for the first time. What a beautiful ballad.

For the next song, I'll just write them in brief, starting with Clouds Lift.

This one is getting a lot of plays as it has been placed to a number of playlists on Spotify and I'm not complaining. It is a great track to vibe and watch clouds. I did not mean to write that literally. This was written by Zealyn and Kiah Victoria who's known for her song, Ornament which you should check out. I kinda wished Clouds Lift was longer.

And lastly, another highlight of the EP, the title track.

City life sucks. Don't you want to go back to the woods and enjoy life there? You don't? Okay then. If you want to hear nature in a song, this is the one. This track is warm and atmospheric as Zealyn reminisces a place in Maine where she and her family spend time there every weekend (hence the title of the song and EP). Such simple things like running through the forest and climbing trees with her brother (you could hear him singing the chorus with her) give her a sense of nostalgia which she realizes couldn't get it back. David Burris did an excellent job producing the song and Sleeping Lion being the co-writers of the song did amazing with the lyrics. Let's not forget the main artist selling nostalgia with her magnetic vocals and songwriting. I love everything about A Weekend in Maine, the song. There's even a cute part towards the end with a vocal sample of her and her brother talking as kids.

Overall, it's a great EP and I'll give this an 8/10 rating. Definitely a recommendation for everyone reading this. My favorite songs are Faster Now, Airline Wine and A Weekend in Maine. I don't have a least favorite despite how I complained that Holiday was repetitive and underwritten while Clouds feels short.

That's it for my first EP Review. The next one is coming soon.