Album Review: Maxine Ashley - MOOD SWINGs EP

• by Tia Scott
• Jun 6, 2014

After garnering a successful buzz from her cover version of Portishead’s “Glory Box” and pulling in more than 9 million views on her YouTube channel, songbird/songwriter Maxine Ashley releases her debut EP, MOOD SWINGs. For this exclusive EP, the Bronx, N.Y., native delivers nine infectious tracks with whimsical vocals over imaginative, experimental production by the likes of Kerry “Krucial” Brothers, Zeke MacUmber, The Outsyders and the one and only Pharrell Williams.

With MOOD SWINGs, Maxine doesn’t fail to bring listeners to her world where R&B, soul, jazz, pop and alternative elements come together to live in harmony, if only for a moment. Her vocal capabilities shine brilliantly throughout the EP, as she never lets the star-studded production take center stage. Ashley is certainly running the show here, and songs like the early-'90s house-inspired “Here We Are” further proves it.

The highlights of MOOD SWINGs turn out to be the more subtle tracks like the breezy “By Your Side” and the cool, psychedelic “Mary” that leads up to the more upbeat Pharrell-produced “Perpetual Nights.” Overall, Ashley delivers an impressive project complete with solid vocals and stellar production. Each song carries an air of its own, whether it’s moody, reflective, groovy or just plain cool; and this gives us a glance into just what kind of artist she is and who she’s becoming. Can’t wait to see what else she has in store.