Lili Mare is an indie-folk singer-songwriter from a small suburb of Cologne. She grew up surrounded by nature, but also the dynamic energy of city life. These contrasting environments have strongly influenced her music, creating a soundscape that combines the tranquillity of the countryside with the vibrancy of the city. For her, writing is a process of closure – what is put into words and brought to the outside world no longer has to continue to have a life within her.
Her latest EP is called “The Light.” I went to also check out her previous discography and I love the visual theme on the cover artwork for her singles included in this EP.
There is a good balance of mid-tempo/upbeat songs and slow ones, almost feels like there is an A and B side to this release. The style is indie pop. “Still” and “Forgive” are on the poppier side, with great melodic, radio-friendly catchy hooks, with a beautiful simplicity to them. I don’t know if that was ever an influence on her, but I can hear a little bit of Fleetwood Mac and The Cranberries here. “Paul” is a bit like what Florence And The Machine would sound like if they were less rock and more on the dreamy side than the anthemic one, harmonies and counter melodies are lovely on this one, as well as the intertwining parts of the bass, guitar and piano. “August” and “How To Be Brave” are, for all intents and purposes, ballads, very emotional and almost hypnotic.
Overall, I love her voice, it is very expressive and emotive, and there is still a subtlety when needed, but not the kind of whisperpop, where articulation goes out of the window (hey I do have my preferences, what can I do!).
Written by Spiros Maus
