Mariee Sioux
Grief in Exile


4.0
excellent

Review

by A.R.O. STAFF
June 15th, 2019 | 47 replies


Release Date: 2019 | Tracklist

Review Summary: warm moans from a dying earth

"know who's [sic] occupied land you stand on"

Despite these inflammatory words plastered on her Spotify wallpaper, Mariee Sioux's Grief in Exile contains far less scorn than one might expect. Instead, her album plays peacefully in mooncast shadows, finding a unique voice not from instrumental trickery but pure gentleness in her nature-bound approach.

That's not to say there isn't some lovely ornamentation to be found here, as the twinkling guitars and atmospheric production place her audience squarely in the forest alongside her; it's just not flashy. There's a spirit to her vocals that few others in her newly-reinstated genre of "female folk singer-songwriters" posses. It comes from the same place as her stripped-down yet captivating backgrounds, a deep genuineness that her indigenous heritage lends—a severity to her conservationist message that no one could dare cast off as insincere.

That isn't to say that the music is so serious that no one should enjoy it, she sounds pleased or even hopeful more often than not on the record. She also flexes some serious pop sensibilities that can be sensed in the choruses of the title track, dipping in and out of mainstream appeal as proof that her current popularity is not all she has her eyes set on.

And while not every track hits its mark (a few do admittedly fall in some uninteresting cracks between her mellowed approach to the genre and her occasional sing-along leanings), what remains most impressive is how well she can keep the balance going, all while maintaining a unique, deeply motivated voice in a growing genre full of a substantial amount of unique voices. And for all the menace that one could pack in a potentially political album like this, there's little of that to be found inside this tranquil, moving experience that one could find themselves treasuring if caught in the right mood one of these warm summer nights.



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user ratings (12)
3.8
excellent


Comments:Add a Comment 
neekafat
Staff Reviewer
June 15th 2019


26231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

woah that looked way bigger on my phone

Anyway, hope y'all enjoy this, thanks to budgie for shooting this my way and giving me my inspiration for my first review in a while!

budgie
June 15th 2019


35796 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

nice write up man! it was none other than hope sandoval of mazzy star who promoted this artist on facebook, that's how i heard of her anyway. some serious spiritual shamanic vibes on this release

good luck with the claire cronin album, i listened to it like.. 5 or 6 times yesterday. it's seductive

Papa Universe
June 15th 2019


22503 Comments


not to be that guy, but are you sure that quote at the beginning is correct?

POS in exile

neekafat
Staff Reviewer
June 15th 2019


26231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

[Sic]



Thanks guys!

Papa Universe
June 15th 2019


22503 Comments


oh, cause it's a past tense. nevermind, I'm dumb

budgie
June 15th 2019


35796 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

[radical]

Slex
June 16th 2019


16622 Comments


This sounds like I’d like it
Great writing like always m

dmathias52
Staff Reviewer
June 16th 2019


1799 Comments


Ooh this sounds really interesting. Pretty much any music with a platform grabs my attention

BlushfulHippocrene
Staff Reviewer
June 16th 2019


4052 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

"There's a spirit to her vocals that few others in her newly-reinstated genre of "female folk singer-songwriters" posses."



You reckon this is something that's occured outside of Sputnik? I'm not saying it's wrong, obviously, but I have a feeling that Sput latched onto the female singer-songwriter thing for a while last year, and that they're a "genre" that never "died" elsewhere. That could be wrong, though -- thoughts?



Also, watch out for "posses" there ! (I do that with "repition").



Given the quote at the beginning, I reckon you should've delved into the ties with her background a bit more. Same with the parenthesis, that probably deserved its own sentence(s). Otherwise good work this sounds so good write more please aaa her voice is beautiful.

neekafat
Staff Reviewer
June 16th 2019


26231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Actually as far as I understand it this recent wave is kinda a newish thing for indie, at least from my conversations at work and other music groups!

I agree I should've dug a bit deeper or more incorporated the opening quote, and I'll fix all that up! Glad you're liking it I agree (:

BlushfulHippocrene
Staff Reviewer
June 16th 2019


4052 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Who would you lump her in with? I'm hearing, like, Joanna Newsom and some older folk musicians, even if there is a newer, more specific wave of female singer-songwriters (who I'm thinking deserve a name if there are discernible characteristics).

budgie
June 16th 2019


35796 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

imagine marissa nadler up an octave & with more energetic instrumentation

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
June 17th 2019


32047 Comments


Good write-up neek, I had burnt myself out of the genre though, looking for a messiah to make me believe again, could she be this girl?

Let's find out!

neekafat
Staff Reviewer
June 17th 2019


26231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Good comparison budgie!

And yeah Dewinged this isn't anything super fancy or out of the ordinary musically but it could very well do the trick based on what you're looking for (:

neekafat
Staff Reviewer
June 17th 2019


26231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Oh I just saw all those earlier comments, thanks all! And yea plz check Bloon (:

Pho3nix
June 17th 2019


1610 Comments


So is there a Native American concept to this album? might check!

guitarded_chuck
June 17th 2019


18070 Comments


"That's not to say"
"That isn't to say"
"And"

you really shouldn't start a new paragraph in any of these ways

butt.
June 17th 2019


10968 Comments


nice little write up, sometimes short and concise is the way to go.
adding this to my list.

neekafat
Staff Reviewer
June 17th 2019


26231 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Please check guys!

@Guitarded oop

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
June 18th 2019


32047 Comments


Pleasant album to say the least.



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