The Boston-based singer-songwriter Maddie Lam has developed a flair for crafting heartfelt, soft indie music with folk undertones and introspective lyrics. BLUE is Lam’s first fully self-recorded project, making it particularly personal and intimate—she understands music to be the full expression of the soul, inviting us into a world of self-love and reflection against gentle guitars and velvet vocals.
Opening the project, the melodic guitar strums of the title track “Blue” instantly cocoon listeners before merging with Lam’s ethereal voice as a sense of calmness washes over. The stripped-back sound is refreshing, with lyrics interrupted only by an ephemeral birdsong and quiet breaths. Shimmering synth sounds fade in towards the end, elevating “Blue” as they overlap seamlessly with Lam’s voice, which carries vast depths of both fragility and strength as she sings sadly of crying “a million tears” and “holding [her] breath.” “Three, four,” she whispers at the song’s end, counting us in for the healing journey about to unfold.
Indeed, by the next soothing track, “Concrete,” Lam appears utterly at peace with the world. She admires the flowers growing through the concrete, seemingly resembling her own resilience: “Didn’t know the weight my shoulders could bear.” Her music carries a simultaneous softness and sophistication, with her wistful voice against a steady beat echoing the R&B influences she sought to incorporate into BLUE. Undeniably, Lam seems to have retained her tenderness even after difficult times, making her more likable as an artist as her work is imbued with honesty and self-growth. This also parallels Lam’s earlier songwriting, with 2021’s “Sunflower Song” honoring her experience with grief: “I’m allowed to miss you / But the loneliness might just kill me,” she muses against powerful strings, embracing her emotions while recognizing the danger of wallowing in them.
Continuing the flower and nature imagery, “Moonflower” is perhaps BLUE’s most sonically rich song. It opens with a mystical soundscape that feels like a call into another realm—bells, guitar strums, and muffled sounds reminiscent of flowing water or crickets in the summertime invite listeners to envision their own paradise where the grass is a little greener and the sun shines a little brighter. Now halfway through the EP, Lam’s buttery smooth vocals come as no surprise but still possess their angelic charm in a way that soothes rather than bores listeners. “Moonflower, I love the things you dream / And I am learning to live again,” she croons against delicate harmonies and intermittent hums, maintaining the defiant warmth that makes her music so captivating. A devotional song to the moon, “Moonflower” is imbued with Lam’s spiritual beliefs, understanding the moon as a symbol of femininity and a source of guidance. “You love me like the ocean, like a mother / And you hold me when I’m hurting like a sister / And I’ll follow you one foot in front of the other”; her dulcet voice carries earnest tones of admiration, seeking comfort from something greater than herself and translating that into a comforting track for listeners.
Coming in at around thirty seconds, “Dimensions (Intro)” is the shortest song on the project, giving us a taste of the twinkling piano, hushed vocals, and spiritual lyricism that follow in the final contemplative track, “Dimensions.” Writing from the “perspective of our higher selves,” Lam’s lyrics are sincere in a way that is inspiring without being preachy: “It was good to know you, so good to hold you in this lifetime / But I can’t mold you, no I won’t grow you into fine wine / So I have to go now.” Her ability to recognize the value of an experience, but then to let it go, is acutely mature; this culminates in a meditative chorus as she repeats “in another dimension” and “in another lifetime.” The repetition creates a profound feeling of acceptance—that it’s ok to evolve and change—reinforced by a slow, regular beat which offers a reliable foundation for Lam to build upon with dreamy harmonies and layered vocals. The birdsong featured on the opening track “Blue” also reappears, creating a sense of cyclicality—the cycle appears to be complete as Lam has moved through this phase of life and is ready to close the chapter and continue evolving: “at the end of this lifetime, I’ll see you at the next dimension.” Through “Dimensions,” Lam ends BLUE on a hopeful note, leaving us with the birdsong gently ringing in our ears as we are eased back into reality.
BLUE ultimately triumphs as it makes space for Lam’s vocals to shine—she is a breath of fresh air in a crowded industry where many artists prioritize style over substance, letting her lyrics speak for themselves without overcrowded or overcomplicated production. Listening to the EP in full offers fifteen minutes of tranquility, guaranteed to leave you feeling a little lighter after Lam delivers both exquisite sounds and an essential message.
