Moonlike – Mahta (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

Although a great name for a record – evocative, otherworldly, mysterious – “Moonlike” is actually the literal translation of the artist’s name, meaning that here, Mahta and her music become one and the same, the soundtrack to her innermost thoughts and feelings, perfect for a suite of songs that dwell on ideas of identity and self, and doing so in a reflective, soul-searching manner.

As you might expect, given the intimate nature of the themes, the music sits equidistant between indie accessibility and the dream-like, sometimes tethered in groove, often more floating and delicate. Personal yet, in a broader sense, wonderfully relatable. We can all see at least a brief glimmer of ourselves reflected in these songs.

And if opener “Thinking of You” begins in that restrained space, a shimmering dream-pop array of sentiment as sound, “I Don’t Mind” builds from funky minimalism into a searing, cinematic anthem. But as the next two songs prove, it is understatement and sonic articulation that she is more interested in.

“Life Will Catch You” is somehow busy and beat-driven yet spacious and ethereal, and “Maybe We’re Meant to Be” feels not unlike a New Age gospel choir, at least until it evolves into a Cranberries-esque sonic blend of rock and heaven to play out.

Although I have heard a couple of these songs before, it is great to hear them again in the context of a bigger release, one where you can see them as part of the personal sonic landscape Mahta is building around herself. And boy, what a majestic and gentle, ambient and anthemic, blissed out and beautiful landscape it is.

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