Maria Taylor is an alt-country musician and Overlook is her fourth album released under her own name. She's also been featured on four albums as one half of the folk duo Azure Ray. While Azure Ray's music is low-tempo, low-key and has a sense of fragility to it, Taylor's solo work is more lively and has a poppier feel to it. The first thing I noticed was how great her singing voice is. Of course that was true of her previous albums, but I had forgotten just how beautiful her voice is. The production handles it perfectly, at times lending an airy quality to it that contributes the album's emotionally-dense feel. I think one of the marks of a really great singer is when you hear him or her sing, you’re convinced the words mean more than they actually do. That happens while I listen to Overlook, and that’s an exciting thing. I felt like the music itself was as emotive as her voice but there’s a weight to the music. Anyone can sing sad songs over soft acoustic guitar plucking, but here Taylor really layers sounds, strings here, a warm synth tone there and a bluesy guitar solo for good measure. So much alt-country sounds like it goes through the motions, trying one cliche after another. The authenticity I hear in her voice and the beauty of the arrangements make Overlook an above average album for those who have an interest in the style.9.0 / 10
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