Photo by Clyde Munroe
Written by Megan Langley
Max Leone is a musician who has been on the rise as of recently. He’s spent the past year releasing a string of singles and has been preparing for his debut EP, “Malleable.”
A week prior to the EP’s release, I attended a press conference for Leone where he answered some questions about his music and the new release, and at the end of it, he played a couple of songs for everyone.
The first song he played was “in case (there’s a change of heart),” where he accompanied his own vocal performance with the acoustic guitar, and that brought out a lot of the emotion within the song. Another song he played was “untitled,” and this one showed just how strong of a vocalist he is, as he put on a very impressive performance throughout.
April 29th marked the release of “Malleable,” and the EP begins with “the craziest thing i’ve ever done,” which starts off with some orchestral instruments before the keys and percussion to join in to drive the rhythm and start to bring a darker tone to the song that quickly shows why a few other publications have described and categorized some of his music as “anti-pop.”
The musicality of the track is very intriguing to listen to, and lyrically, the song seems to touch on what it feels like to risk it all for a relationship as Leone sings “the craziest thing I’ve ever done is loving someone” during the hook found within the much bigger choruses. The bridge includes another standout moment, as it highlights his impressive vocal range as he hits some much higher notes before the song concludes.
“Cautious” starts off with some intricate guitar parts, and a simple beat pairs up with those to drive the song’s rhythm. The darker tone from the previous track carries on into this one as well, and the melodies are really catchy throughout, especially those found in the choruses.
“First Grade” is similar, also bringing some very catchy melodies from start to finish, and although the instrumentation is a bit more simplistic, it’s another very memorable track overall.
Next up is the title track “Malleable,” and an acoustic guitar leads most of the song at first, but some more percussion comes in during the second verse. The vocals stand out throughout the track, and the darker melodies really help convey the pain and frustration depicted in lyrics such as “Postcard to a new friend / nice to see you again / looks like social climbing from the place that I stand” and “I don’t know you anymore.”
“5” contains another strong vocal performance that shows off his vocal range once again, and another highlight of this track is how it’s composed. The composition in the verses really helps convey the sense of regret in lyrics such as “Loss of innocence / the death of ignorance is bliss” and “we’re shaking hands with fears and doubts,” and the contrast between the darker verses and brighter choruses works very well.
“The Beach” is a slow and very laid-back track, but it’s not as dark as some of the previous tracks in regards to the composition. He does a really good job at using the beach and things relating to it as metaphors for being in love with someone when the relationship isn’t meant to be, with some examples being “You’re like the beach and I’m drowning in the sea” and “I get burnt when I touch you, never learn I’m such a fool.”
“in case (there’s a change of heart)” is a much more stripped-down track, similarly to the last track. It contains another outstanding vocal performance which is only emphasized in bigger sections such as the choruses and outro.
The second-to-last track, “Escape,” brings back the darker tone found on some of the earlier tracks on the EP, and listeners can hear the raw emotion within his voice during the performance on this track.
The lyrics are just as dark as the music, describing the mental state of how it feels when someone leaves you after promising they wouldn’t. This feeling is conveyed with the this lines “You said you wouldn’t leave me here / your promises are insincere / I sit and watch the fire burn and suddenly the lines are blurred” and “I’m caught in a wave but I can’t swim away, ‘cause the current is pulling me down."
The EP wraps up with one of my favorite songs on it, “untitled,” which brings some more memorable composition to the table both through its melodies and its instrumentals. With “Malleable,” Max Leone has created a very enjoyable release that displays his unique sound as an artist.
“Malleable” is available on all streaming platforms. You can keep up with Max Leone on Twitter @itsmaxleone, and if you’ve heard the EP, let us know what you think by tweeting us @lgndsoftmrw!
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