Young singer/songwriter Merival has been building a name for herself in Toronto over the last few years, primarily as a collaborator with Ryan Hemsworth, Stars’ Torquil Campbell and others. With the release of her debut EP, she steps out on her own with a batch of willowy, elegant, melodious songs.
Recorded by Asher Gould-Murtagh, Lovers is, aside from one banjo number, all acoustic guitar and vocals, allowing us to focus on the stark beauty of the songs, Merival’s lilting vocals (and long-held notes on Kicking You Out), the fancy fretwork that takes centre stage on Alay Alas, and lyrics about love gone wrong.
The collection never falters – it’s too brief to ever get a chance to, really – but nor does it set itself distinctly apart from the sea of sensitive singer/songwriters with great voices. But keep this in mind: Merival wrote the songs before she’d even turned 20, so it’s the promise of what’s to come that’s most exciting.
Top track: Alay Alas
Merival releases Lovers at the Burdock on Friday (January 29).
