Briston Maroney - Ultrapure
Ultrapure, adjective: meaning extremely pure and/or very clean and free from contaminants.
Singer/songwriter/light of my life Briston Maroney (he/they) released his highly-anticipated record of the same name on September 22nd, 2023. This album is Maroney’s second and as described by the musician himself; one that he’s been wanting to create for a long while. After his hit song Freakin’ Out on the Interstate in 2018, Maroney has truly grown and blossomed as an artist based in the great city of music; Nashville, Tennessee. Coming from a longtime fan of almost six years, it was a high honor to review his newest album.
Focusing on merely style, Ultrapure is totally a different direction compared to Maroney’s last album, Sunflower. The record as a whole is more of a hyper-pop and folk mixture rather than the usual indie rock, hard guitar sound he’s presented in the past; possessing a softer ambience. The use of the acoustic guitar especially is a recurring instrument throughout the 13 tracks and his vocal approach is reminiscent of folk styles due to its wispy nature, which truly builds off of arguably the best aspect of Ultrapure: the lyrics.
A common theme within the universe of Briston Maroney is that of personal lyrics derived from his real-life experiences. He hits the mark from a writing standpoint with heartfelt wordplay that is consistent with every single track, not to mention that it flows like a well-crafted story as listeners journey through Ultrapure. From heartbreak to mental illness to growing older, in a way, this record is representative of Briston’s life and all of its ups and downs. It feels as if he truly ripped his soul out and sewed it into the music, which is probably why this album is so monumental.
In its entirety, Ultrapure is a milestone for the young singer/songwriter. My personal favorite tracks (that you should DEFINITELY check out) consist of Breathe (track 3), Detonator (track 8), and Spring (track 10) though it’s all in all a well rounded record. Following this release, Maroney will be touring the United States and Europe with artists such as Snarls, Phoebe Go, and Abbie Ozard until March of 2024.