- Despite the shiny new imprint, Easier to Hide just seems like four more Maya jams at first glance: sexy and practically bursting with sly melody. The sound palette is certainly familiar. But more than anything, I Am Me's maiden voyage is a collection of four songs, bringing out the pop tendencies that we always knew were there.
"Easier to Hide" is archetypal MJC, but listen to how the drums drop out when she starts singing: this isn't just a house track with vocals on top. She sounds confident, more capable of carrying a melody—which she does with aplomb across one of her glossiest canvases yet. Based off a single chugging guitar riff, "Over" feels a bit like Crosstown Rebels doing post-punk; think a less stiff Amirali.
One thing that becomes apparent is how much deeper her music has become since the smash hit "What They Say." "Run with the Wild" buries the sort of chirpy organ riff that made her famous. It's a druggy daze with a smaller vocal presence that should placate fans of her older material. Finally, at a sluggish 112 BPM, "Back to Square One" calls to mind a muscular version of "Senseless," one of her first flirtations with the possibilities of her voice. Tuned more to a sitting room than a dance floor, it doesn't feel like a stretch. Instead, Coles' newfound reliance on her own vocals is only making her beloved sound more distinctive.
Tracklist01. Easier To Hide
02. Over
03. Run With The Wild
04. Back To Square One