Review: Maude Latour shines bright in ‘001’
Rating: ★★★★
Top Track: “Cyclone”
Recent Columbia University graduate by day and up-and-coming pop star by night Maude Latour just released her third EP titled “001.” Known for her catchy and bright tracks on heartbreak, sisterhood, love and friendship, “001” preserves her classic, upbeat style but focuses more on themes of self-discovery and personal reflection. Although I don’t know that anything can beat her 2020 song “One More Weekend,” Latour shows a new side of herself as a singer-songwriter in “001” and takes listeners through the process of finding herself.
The album opens with title track “001.” With a strange, echoey opening unlike anything I’ve heard from Latour before, I felt like “001” perfectly set up the album with Latour’s new focus on self-acceptance and enjoyment. “I like to shine bright like a fucking star,” Latour explains. With the direction her career seems to be going in, I think she will.
The first song written for the album, “Headphones” is a sweet and hopeful song reminding Maude to let her music lead the way. While its sound is a little overproduced for my tastes, it’s still catchy, and I appreciate that Maude has seemingly written it just for herself — we get the privilege of listening in.
An ode to one of her deepest friendships, “Lola” explores the complicated and blurred line between romantic and platonic feelings. Detailing her desire to protect her girls, her future and her love for Lola, the song explores the fluidity of relationships and love that can’t always be categorized. A recent Instagram post by Latour explains that this is the song that will always be closest to her heart.
Also on her Instagram, Latour explained that “Trees” was actually inspired by Virginia Woolf’s writing on the intricacy of their beauty. With light and bubbly production that made it a song to sway back and forth to, Latour sings about seeing those she loves in everything that surrounds her (even the trees): “And it occurs to me that I’m forever changed by you,” she explains.
“Probabilities” is a song about coincidences, friendship and getting older. “Baby, don’t be scared, I can tell the future’s bright,” Latour sings, explaining that she still doesn’t know what she’s doing at twenty-three years old. Another high-energy and incessantly catchy track, “Probabilities” is a coming-of-age song for those who might have thought they were already past growing up.
Closing out the project is the upbeat tune “Cyclone.” My favorite from the album, and one I find most reminiscent of her earlier tracks, “Cyclone” is a song about missing someone but learning how to forgive, and finding yourself even more in that process. The backing just has such a solid beat that I find easy to jam to, and her vocals didn’t come to play in this one. I can’t wait to jump up and down screaming this song at her concert this coming weekend.
While I’m not sure anything will be able to top her second EP, “Strangers Forever,” I do believe that Latour’s future as a popstar is bright. Although some of the songs verged heavily towards hyperpop, I still thought “001” was an overall success. I’ve been a Maude Latour fan for quite some time, and it’s been refreshing to watch her journey as a songwriter from her first singles back in 2019. You can even catch her performing at Austin City Limits or Houston House of Blues (which is where I’ll be) over midterm recess.
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