I have a confession to make. I had never heard of Maddy Jane before, which is completely absurd because after listening to her album, not only do I think that my life was a travesty prior to acknowledging the existence of this talented young indie-rock Aussie singer-songwriter. But I really can’t believe that ‘Not All Bad Or Good’ is ONLY her debut album.
Listening to Not All Bad Or Good surprisingly took me on a journey to the past, back to a time when I first fell in love with Australian rock music when the likes of Powderfinger and Eskimo Joe thrived, and Aussie rock reigned the airwaves. Unless you know where to look, Aussie rock music is so much harder to find these days, and I admit, I don’t think I am listening to Australian music as much as I should be. So, I am thankful to be introduced to Maddy Jane, who although sounds very different in comparison to the two previous bands mention above, she still somehow oozes the same authentic aura.
Maddy Jane kickstarts her 11-track album debut with ‘I’m Hearin’ Ya’, which I believe is the most up-beat song on the record despite its context. The song speaks of a communication breakdown and as it progresses, the volume of the instruments clash together, combining to intensify the overall mood and helping express Maddy Jane’s frustrated emotions.
In ‘Perfection’s a Thing and You’re It’, Maddy Jane addresses that “I’m not that old, but I’m too old for this shit”, and I felt that. In a song that vents about the judgemental opinions on imperfections, the composition nestles perfectly as the second track on the album, and I am not surprised that Maddy Jane chose this track to be her latest single.
For the majority of the record, upon listening, I came to the realisation that Not All Bad Or Good is the perfect break-up album. Not for those who want to dwell in a mood for a love lost, no. But for the many who are done with the past, want to drop their baggage and move on, but not without saying the last word and strutting off in style.
This is how it feels listening to every track of Maddy Jane’s debut album; she’s honest, real and is not afraid to expose just how blatant she can be. This is evident in the track, ‘Crazy Jane Talks To The Bishop’ where she mic-drops the line, “You still owe me over 500 bucks for all the stuff I bought, and the internet you complained about and never paid me for.” Damn.
With ‘Say You Weren’t Mine’ as a close second for being openly painfully beautiful, my favourite song on the album is ‘Something Old and Something New’. I love the song from start to finish for its intimate guitar intro, catchy melody, clever lyrics and its essential perfect summary that love is exhausting, a lot of effort and scary as fuck.
Although majority of the songs on Not All Bad Or Good have pretty much the same tempo (with the exception of the ballads), this isn’t a bad thing. The songs all have an infectious toe-tapping, head-bopping beat and contain a sassy wit that I adore. It is evident that the singer-songwriter has been through various ordeals and has come out the other side much stronger and victorious. You would be victorious too, if you could reveal after a bad break-up an impressive empowering debut album like this one.
Maddy Jane is an unapologetically fierce and feisty female who is personal, raw and bleeds her thoughts with no filter. Proudly wearing her emotional scars from her hard-earned lessons like medals, she effortlessly conjures and addresses relatable shit in her music.
Maddy Jane’s debut album may be titled Not All Bad Or Good in reference to the stories in her music. But when it comes to quality and talent, there is honestly not a single bad song on this album. It is actually, all good.
Maddy Jane‘s debut album Not All Bad Or Good will be released on Friday the 1st of May and you can stream or purchase the album here: https://smarturl.it/MJNotAllBadOrGood
For more information on Maddy Jane, visit https://www.maddyjane.com.au
