Danielle Deighton - map

Danielle Deighton

Map
self-released; 2014

3.6 out of 5

By Ryan Powers

Writing music for some people is like a permanent itch that never get subsides. I remember being fourteen years old and writing my first song. After that I was hooked, always trying to come up with new songs. Seventeen years later and I’m still at it. For Danielle Deighton, she got her first taste about five years ago but has got hooked ever since. I’m glad she did cause her debut EP entitled Map is quite enjoyable. Map is a bit of a sampler as it showcases different instruments and slightly different styles for each song. The songwriting is impressive for Deighton only being at it for five years and builds a very solid foundation.  

She opens up with my personal favorite track entitled “Let it Go.” The song is upbeat, infectious and sounded a bit like a more country version Feist. I’ll take that. The instrumentation revolves acoustic guitar, bass, drums and horns that come in at the chorus. Those horns were a very nice touch but her voice is really the star of the show here. She has a confident, sweet voice that feels heartfelt and warm. She sings, “Breath it, breath it, breathe it, breathe it all in/The air I breathe in is so thick I’ve got to/Make it right and I’ll make it quick.” The song goes by quick at only two-and-a-half minutes but it was a great opener that puts you in a good mood.

The second track “Started With a Kiss” is another good song but quite different than the first. Deighton goes less pop and more country/folk on this one and I am having a hard deciding what style I like more. “Started With a Kiss” revolves around violin and acoustic guitar and a walking bass line. “Paper Love Me” is the most melancholy track of the four and arguably the most commercially viable as well. Her voice resonates with emotion on this track and is a bit of a tearjerker.

Deighton ends with a knee slapping country song entitled “What They're Missing.” The song is fast and contains a lot of energy. This song also has a commercially viable appeal that a mainstream country audience would appreciate. 

All the songs are good on Maps but I think the first track “Let it Go” had the most appealing style. I think if she moves forward with songs like this she can attract a mainstream audience as well as hipsters. I’ll be keeping my eye on this one. 

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