Maybe Tomorrow by Molly Jenson

Reviewed by Andy Whitehead

This is a reflective, deep and soulful album from an Orange County singer/songwriter that boasts high production values, rewards repeat listening and shows off Jenson's considerable talent for songwriting. Focusing mainly on acoustic music but often straying from folk to jazz to ballad to pop-rock, 'Maybe Tomorrow" is fresh and original with songs that feel different and distinct but without making the album feel fragmented. The songs often stray from the popular verse-chorus formula, which means songs can take any direction at any time. This gives the album an original and unpredictable feel but most songs are still memorable and catchy enough to sing along to. "The Edge 8 Ball Song", for example, starts off with drums and chugging electric guitars and quickly evolves into a soft acoustic guitar piece and later contains a Radiohead-style electronic ambient section only to become a chugging pop-rock song again. Lyrically, the album is complex, interesting and often challenging. With an album as ambitious as this, it would be easy to make something that appeals only to a very small audience, or contain some songs that don't really work but that isn't the case here. This album is full of well crafted, quality music which, if it gets heard among the deluge of releases, will connect with many.