MayMay: And So I Place You In The Setting Sun

MayMay is Laurel Simmons. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Simmonsʼ debut solo album, “And So I Place You In the Setting Sun” is a gorgeous, quietly powerful mediation on the acceptance of transition.

Simmons is no stranger to creating pastoral, evocative music, having exercised her considerable vocal and instrumental skills as a member of beloved Portland chamber-folk darlings Loch Lomond, as well as collaborations with a variety of other well-regarded acts, including international touring with peers such as Alela Diane and Rauelsson.

MayMay began during Simmonsʼ first winters in the Pacific Northwest leaving her homesick for the deserts of her native Arizona and the closeness of generations of family she left behind. MayMay is named in homage to her Arizona roots, in particular her grandmother Barbara Mae May.

“And So I Place You in the Setting Sun” is a remarkable record, willing to experiment with the tension between ambiance and rhythmic texture, while nostalgia and eloquent melodies arrange themselves into dynamics that are compelling yet wanting. The instrumentation blooms and fades like seasons through artful arranging and listeners come away with the notion of how triumphant the heart can be.

The collision of Simmonsʼ somber, ethereal vocals with lyrics permeated by images of sunlight and evocative themes of the process of letting go results in a record that truly sticks with the listener.