Loneliness

Portland artist MAITA’s latest offering, Loneliness is an unorthodox release for the prolific writer, in that the track listing is exactly the same as 2022’s I Just Want to Be Wild For You. Following the release of IJWTBWFU, MAITA felt the urge to record a quiet, introspective record, allowing the same songs to be heard in a different light, closer to how they were originally written. The once bombastic ‘‘Honey, Have I Lost It All,’’ an ode to fearing writers block and obsolescence, comes across as gauzy yearning, while “Pastel Concrete,” shows up not as the jaunty surf-pop audiences are familiar with, instead a wistful reflection of the shallow depths of Southern California sunshine. Throughout the record, songwriter Maria Maita-Keppeler, accompanied only by her nylon string guitar, re-imagines I Just Want to Be Wild For You, cementing her place among the echelon of today’s greatest songwriters.