The Maze's 'Awakens' Album Is Acoustic Outsider Art

[this article was originally published June 16th, 2010 for Examiner.com]

As strongly acoustic as The Maze’s Awakens album is, frontman Robert Hansen commands a mastery over melodies that won’t settle for the standard issue you’d normally expect. The band runs in a similar vein to the kind of artists you might find on the renowned 4AD label (at least back in the day when bands like His Name Is Alive, Pale Saints and Dead Can Dance were active on it), capturing that same sort of trademark ethereal feel and haunted undertones. Accented by echoed out guitar bleeds, the ghostly wail of a musical saw, and the little spots of light brought on by delicate banjo refrains, the music instantly dives headlong into the realm of the uncategorizable.

Make no mistake, this doesn’t suggest The Maze is an odd or unlistenable ensemble. There’s actually something quite familiar about them, only positioned in a more unique way. Just as someone with the right creative flair can assemble everyday objects together - a rusty bolt, a series of carefully bent spoons, bicycle chains, etc. - into an unusual work of art, Hansen convolutes the ordinary in the same way. A folk rock group in itself isn’t all that unique, but with the right fashioning, the simple can be made unconventional, and The Maze does it with relative grace.

Awakens audio dynamic shows the clear signature of The Vega Star’s Justin Rolbiecki at the helm of the engineering in more than just the liner notes - it’s big on sound dimension, little on compression. This always makes for a smoother listen when dealing with acoustics and vocals, as so often in modern day mastering standards, the sound of the instruments don’t have much room to breathe alongside the vocals. This integrity in the production, added to the CD’s content, make it a worthwhile entry among some of Milwaukee’s better DIY releases.

Awakens strongest moments are in the conflict between lyrics and song. The tracks are for the most part moody, overcast narrations of sadness and woe, but certain lyrics pull out from under the clouds and grab the listener’s attention - most obviously in the second to last track, “What It Was” (sung by Kurt Spielmann) with its modern slang reference to the female anatomy used as an insult. While initially jarring from the mood, there’s no doubt that was the intent, and you almost have to forgive it for what it is. Creative merit can’t be earned by adhering to expectations, after all.