open book - mia van de loo (Folk) mia van de loo creeps into your ears with the heartfelt debut EP, “open book”. An up-and-coming singer-songwriter, mia combines her childlike optimism, relentless ambition and angelic voice to express tender emotion and emotion.
mia’s collection of songs were written as she “started to discovery [her] place in the world”, conveying the disappointment, hope, loneliness, frustration and reconciliation within that journey. Her goal—to impact her listeners, forge relationships and make new friends along the way. No better way to do that than opening your soul for others to experience, as mia has done in “open book.”
Vocally, mia’s performance is masterful. Her leads are very close, almost like an ASMR experience, a seductive whisper that conveys intimacy and vulnerability. She slips right into the ear, glossed with shimmering high end, as if planting a subliminal suggestion in the subconscious. The stylings border on spoken word poetry, with mia’s careful and patient delivery of her lyrics adding tension with their restraint. Apt with the title of the project, it feels as if mia is reading chapters from her own diary to a trusted friend.
The production is crisp and clear with pristine instrument separation in the mix, relying on the clarity of simplicity in the arrangements. Bongos patter like rain drops, the guitar strums twinkle in the ears and drive the tracks forward, an understated kick hits right in the chest like a heartbeat, and the bass enters to add weight to an otherwise lilting affair. Throughout, mia shows her prowess in song construction with each track featuring ever building movements that help keep the listener engaged throughout the project. Each track has a musical arc, which is quite the hat trick considering the lack of production bells and whistles—it is rather accomplished purely in the arrangement. Overall it leads to a quite mystical sound, evoking images of the woods at dusk, littered in fireflies as the fog rolls in and the remaining vestiges of the sun beams through thick foliage.
The album begins with tension. In “fairytale”, mia distrusts her lover’s words—sort of a meditation on love bombing—as she wonders whether her lover’s actions will meet the poetry of their words. The lyrics are delivered with curiosity and skepticism as mia fears fully opening to the experience, worried that things will not turn out as they seem. That tension propels the listener into the next song for release.
In “doll”, the fairytale imagery continues with metaphors of princes and princesses and the idea of a lover whispering a beloved pet name. But this is all revealed to be a dream, a desire to meet the person who will sweep in and change her world. It’s an interesting turn in point of view from the prior song’s theme—now she longs for the sweet nothings in fantasy that she seems to distrust when presented in real life. Relatable, for sure.
In the following “match”, mia picks up the tempo with a groovy tango of a track. Her innocence is on full display as she is swept up in the fire of new love, with absolutely gorgeous backing vocals sweeping her through the record, conjuring images of being whisked around the dancefloor of a masquerade ball.
With “goodbye friend” we move from the romantic to the platonic with an ode to the ending of friendships. Her trademark innocence on display, mia recognizes that she’s made the effort but ultimately is comfortable with accepting a setting sun.
Finally, the album concludes with a “lullaby”—a salve for the soul, soothing words of optimism and comfort. It’s an interesting followup to “goodbye friend”—in the prior she laments her unreturned efforts and departs, and now she shows just how valuable of a friend she is.
Sweet and sparkling, there’s a lot to love about “open book”, a project we recommend you get lost in the pages of.