MAYLEE TODD - Choose Your Own Adventure

A tough one to nail down, Maylee Todd is a harpist who loves bossa, a musician who is connected to the local indie scene (The Bicycles, Henri Faberge & The Adorables, Laura Barrett, Woodhands) but certainly does not make indie music, and a (I’m assuming from her musical vocabulary) classically-trained player who dresses up like a Timbaland in Furs on the cover of this, her debut album.

Anyone who has seen the mind-blowing video for “Summer Sounds (Tunog Ng Taginit)”, which starts with her in the park (Bellwoods?) during the Wanda Sa-inspired first section and ends up with a blue-screen dance routine in space for the Stereolab-meets-Herbie Mann extended coda, has a bit of an idea what to expect here. It’s the kind of baffling combination of serious/wacky that characterized June Carter Cash as a performer, or even Frank Zappa.

But don’t be misled. This is an album full of pretty songs that spotlights Todd’s whispery voice (unless she’s yelling, of course), harp that doesn’t scream “HARP!!!” like other singing harpists, and folk-jazz backing.  A charming, whimsical and groovin’ summer record.