To present a song in the day and age that is composed of voice and piano for the most part, it has to be exceptional. That’s exactly what ‘Northern Lights’ by singer-songwriter MAY is. Originally from Australia, MAY found her feet in Brooklyn, firstly by playing in churches across the areas and then performing in more modern spaces like Ronnie Scott’s in London and Electric Lady Studios in NYC. The aura surrounding her voice and powerful songwriting reminds us of contemporary names like Birdie, Matt Maltese, and Bruno Major. In fact, MAY’s voice is even more timeless, framed by the warm, analog recording and production on ‘Northern Lights’. There’s another, more subjective, reason why her words possess this magical quality, and that’s because they’re from the heart. ‘Northern Lights’ is a dedication to the MAY’s late father, and there she recalls that time: “Northern Lights is dedicated to my late father... After he passed away and I came back to New York from Australia, I went Upstate and locked myself away in a cabin in the hills outside of Hudson...It was there where it kind of magically wrote itself... What I love most about making music is the memories that live on within it. My father will always live on through Northern Lights.” We can’t fully explain this artist’s vocal performance, although words like other-worldly, old soul, dynamic, and emotive come to mind. - Hannah Thacker