A good piece of folk music can be a home-away-from-home at any time of the year. Whether the leaves are frozen on the ground or blossoming with flowers, a solid folk song makes sense and comforts universally. And that’s what Malia Rogers has accomplished with her latest single, “The Net.” Partnered with B-side “Never Sing Again”, Rogers’ stirringly intimate scenes and confident voice are front and center on this arresting new release.
Stemming from the seed of advice her mother gave her, “The Net” displays Rogers’ courage as an artist and as an individual to take chances in living her life. She wrangles the turn of phrase masterfully, placing it beautifully amongst clever imagery.
“We spend our days in outer space,
Our nights in fitful sleep,
But my mother always said to me,
The net will come,
So long as you leap”
The track is well balanced, jaunty acoustics bouncing beneath Rogers’ strong vocals. “The Net” is rounded out by parts from Rogers’ castmates from Neptune Theatre’s Argyle Street Kitchen Party – an east coast music revue the theatre has been producing in its summer seasons. Ian Sherwood‘s percussion keeps the rhythm lively, while Karen Lizotte’s accordion and Celia Koughan’s violin both add subtle voices that broaden the voice of the song. It’s clear that Rogers is at home with the net she’s found on this song and the group meld warmly.
B-side “Never Sing Again” is an instant draw with a jingle perfect whistle. The solemn mood is a 180 from “The Net” but it serves as the perfect bittersweet antidote. Unearthed from a journal Rogers found from adolescence when dealing with a potent breakup, the mournful tune is sung from the perspective of her lonesome guitar, shut away to never be played again.
“I don’t believe I’ll ever sing again
My throat is dusty and my strings are bent
And I have nothing more to say”
With little more than her voice and acoustic, Rogers conjures a familiar pang of teenage strife. When wounds seem eternal, and with the ways we look back at them, sometimes they are.
“The Net” and “Never Sing Again” are a formidable pair that highlight Malia Rogers’ emotional depth and ability to craft powerful scenes. In true folk tradition, her melodies are as memorable as her words, and the two form a tight bond. But most of all, her vulnerable honesty reminds listeners to be as well.