Irish indie folk artist Maria Kelly dwells in life’s dark and painful depths on “Slump,” the intimate, achingly beautiful lead single off her sophomore album, ‘Waiting Room.’
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Stream: “Slump” – Maria Kelly
I feel the weight of every step that I take, it’s scary…
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Slumps don’t last forever, but when you’re deep in one, it’s like there’s no way out.
Even though we’ve all been there – even though we’ve all felt that hopelessness and heartache firsthand – Maria Kelly’s “Slump” still manages to send shivers down the spine. “I’m in a slump and I can’t wake up, I’ve been feeling this way all week,” the Irish singer/songwriter confesses, her gentle voice haunting and heartfelt, up-close and personal. It’s a raw, vulnerable, and visceral confessional from a tormented soul – a song that ultimately proves to be as beautiful as it is utterly breathtaking.
I’m in a slump and I can’t wake up
I’ve been feeling this way all week
Got time, I’m young enough
Maybe there’s no need to worry
It’s just the weight of
every move that I make,
It’s scary
I pick a path, I go for that
Well kind of, barely
I’m in a slump and I can’t wake up,
I’ve been feeling this way all week
Don’t think that I’ll give up
But this bed is pretty comfy
I feel the weight of every step that I take
It’s scary
I pick a task, I go for that
Well kind of, barely
A powerfully moving display of songwriting talent, “Slump” is the lead single off Maria Kelly’s forthcoming sophomore album Waiting Room, out February 28th, 2025 via VETA Records.
“‘Slump’ felt like the right place to begin when thinking about how to roll out this next project. It captures a starting point – finding myself, once again, at the beginning of a mountain to climb, with no real will to climb it,” Kelly tells Atwood Magazine. “I had been listening to a lot of Adrianne Lenker and Elliot Smith when the idea of ‘Slump’ began. It started on guitar, with a super simple chord structure – it felt sort of boring at the beginning and I wasn’t sure where to bring it.”
“Once Matt Harris and I got to the studio, it felt like the lyrics required more humour in the sound. Matt suggested getting rid of the guitar entirely, which opened up so much space to play around with other instruments. We started experimenting with ukulele, mandolin, percussion… It landed in this funny twee universe that I think pokes fun at that self-deprecating space we can all find ourselves in.”
I slump down in my seat
I sure hope you won’t ask me
How I’ve been, lately
I’m in a slump and I can’t wake up
I’ve been feeling this way all week
I think I might be stuck
Or lost myself completely
I feel the weight of every word that I say,
It’s heavy,
I take it back, I method act
Well kind of, barely
I feel the weight of every word that I say, it’s heavy. I take it back, I method act, well kind of, barely…
However sweet it may be, that tender and light twee sound can only do so much in the midst of Kelly’s emotional angst and unfiltered aching.
“Slump” is a candid, cathartic indie folk confessional from a soul’s depths; it’s dreamy and unapologetically melodramatic, deep in its feelings, delicate, intimate, and wholly gut-wrenching. Kelly’s lyrics – from the humble admission, “I’m in a slump and I can’t wake up,” to stirring lines like “I feel the weight of every word that I say” and “It’s just the weight of every move that I make, it’s scary,” to the multiple instances of “well kind of, barely” that conclude each verse – all feel like symptoms of an unshakeable depression, and while it’s on the whole healthy, even admirable that she’s singing about these real, raw experiences – acknowledging them in a way that feels both relatable and therapeutic – none of that takes away from the sheer pain she’s expressing or the relentless aching at the heart of this song.
“Slump” is the kind of song that shines bright because of its depiction of darkness; it’s beautiful because of how vividly and viscerally Maria Kelly communicates her suffering
And yet, it’s also the kind of song that, by shining a light on the darkness within, genuinely uplifts its audience – inspiring us to see our world anew; to breathe in hope and love, warmth and wonder; and to smile. That Maria Kelly can evoke so much emotion in just two minutes’ time is a testament to her skills as an artist; we will no doubt be paying extra special attention to her over the months ahead as she prepares to release her sophomore album.
I slump down in my seat
I sure hope you won’t ask me
How I’ve been, lately
And for those who find themselves in a slump, consider giving this song a listen.
Often, it helps to know we’re not alone in how we’re feeling, and Maria Kelly has gone above and beyond to capture the sheer weight of life itself in “Slump.”
Waiting Room is out February 28th, 2025!
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© Charlotte Blokhuis
© Charlotte Blokhuis
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