Only Gets Better
M. Cizon | Portland, OR | 06/14/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Lois Maffeo, also known just as Lois, has been releasing excellent indie-folk for the past ten years on Olympia, WA's K Records. Her most recent album, "Infinity Plus," was a bit of a departure for Ms. Maffeo as the arrangements were quite full and production decidedly "slick." On this, her Kill Rock Stars debut, she (along with Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty) proves that "Infinity's" promise was just that--promise for more and better things to come. "The Union Themes" is easily the best album of Ms. Maffeo's career to date, which is something considering that her "Strumpet" LP is on my short-list of best albums from K Records. Funny thing is that her songs haven't changed that much at their base. There's the engaging jangly acoustic guitar, strummed in 2 or 4 time, the wry lyrics, and (above all else) Ms. Maffeo's lovely alto--singing instantly catchy melodies above it all. Mr. Canty, it seems, has pushed these songs into classic territories by arrangement alone. The first song, 'These Parts,' has touches of mandolin while 'How I Came To Know' features an electric guitar line that's like 'Layla's' second cousin. Clocking-in a just over 30 minutes, "The Union Themes" proves that quantity does not necessarily denote quality. If you like female singer/songwriters that don't toe the Lilith Line, or just damn good songwriting, pick this up today."
When archaeologists dig this up they'll either laugh or cry
thecableguy | 10/28/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Lois Maffeo's early records were stripped-down affairs; all you got were a voice, an acoustic guitar, and some brushes on a snare drum. Which was fine -- her charming songs about love and living didn't need any more.
By music industry standards The Union Themes isn't exactly a wide-screen production, but Brendan Canty's strategically deployed guitars, keyboards and percussion are Maffeo's most elaborate settings to date. He turns the swooning "How I Came To Know" into a Wings-worthy rush, while subtle cymbal accents and mellotron strings underscore the suspicious mind of "Being Blind's" protagonist. Maffeo turns in her most nuanced singing to date; like Astrud Gilberto, she gets plenty of atmosphere and emotion by exploiting the full resources of a narrow vocal range.
She's broadened her subject matter as well as her sonic palette; instead of autobiography, the ten songs on The Union Themes are mainly about other people's marriages. And anyone who's been married, or knows someone who is, can tell you that their's no shortage of things to say about that topic. Maffeo's observations and first-person narratives explore matrimony's wages of bliss and anguish are carefully drawn; she hasn't abandoned the economy of her earlier work, just taken the time to polish it up a bit. And my, how it glitters."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1