ALBUM REVIEW: Whether Moving On or Staying Put, Maya de Vitry Lives in ‘The Only Moment’

On her fourth full-length album, The Only Moment, Maya de Vitry exhibits a sense of self-awareness in her lyrics and in arrangements that complement her vocals. The songs, all written or co-written by de Vitry, strike a balance between a driving rock tempo and gentler rhythms, between staying put and moving on.

The opening track, “Nothing Else Matters,” may sound familiar to roots music fans. Co-writer Phoebe Hunt, who provides background harmony on the album, made the song the title track on her 2023 album (ND review), and Lindsay Lou recorded a version on her Queen of Time album (ND review) the same year. The song lends itself to minimal instrumentation, keeping the poetic lyrics and simple harmony in the foreground.

Whether addressing others or some version of herself, de Vitry’s lyrics explore individual choices. In the up-tempo track “Compass,” she looks back and says, “I don’t wanna go there anymore / So why would I?” She closes the song declaring, “I took the wheel and now I’m driving.” In “Some Rent,” she considers “the woman I was,” telling her, “You can come along for the ride if you want to / But I don’t do things the way I used to.”

Throughout the album, a theme of movement pervades. Whether fighting the instinct to stay — at least metaphorically — inside a burning building or choosing to remain present long enough to learn something about living or loving, de Vitry embraces her agency. While she sings “I’m Not Going Anywhere,” clearly a love song, she also explores the possibility of flying in “If They Feel Like Wings.”

De Vitry has been waiting for the right time to record some of the songs on the album. According to liner notes, “Odds of Getting Even,” one of the more rock-infused tracks, has been “laying around for years,” waiting for the right record and band. She also considered “Ribbon” for an earlier recording project but felt right giving it a “sparse rock band treatment” on this album.

“Watching the Whole Sky Change,” the most stripped-down track on the album, features de Vitry’s ethereal vocals and acoustic guitar, accompanied by Alex Wilder on Wurlitzer. She names what she needs:

less talking about the past
more letting the moon knock me back
. . .
less worry about the future
more letting the music move me
. . .
less of the story that wasn’t meant for me
and more of the turning the page …

Each of the tracks on the album showcases de Vitry’s vocal range. The harmonies and the musical accompaniment are added with a light hand. Backed by Anthony da Costa on electric guitar, Ethan Jodziewicz on electric and upright bass, Dominic Billett on drums, and Wilder on organ, de Vitry delivers vocals sometimes almost wispy and other times hard-hitting.

“Ribbon” the closing track, blends blues and folk sounds. In it, de Vitry claims, “Nothing ends with a ribbon around it” returning to the possibility of taking flight as she asks:

If I try to leave behind
Just a little at a time
Will I grow the wings I need
If I try?

Maya de Vitry (photo by Kaitlin Raitz)

Maya de Vitry’s The Only Moment is out July 12.