The Union Themes

Lois Maffeo's early records were stripped-down affairs; all you got were a voice, an acoustic guitar, and some brushes on a snare drum. Which was fine -- her charming songs about love and living didn't need any more. By music industry standards The Union Themes isn't exactly a wide-screen production, but Brendan Canty's strategically deployed guitars, keyboards and percussion are Maffeo's most elaborate settings to date. He turns the swooning "How I Came To Know" into a Wings-worthy rush, while subtle cymbal accents and mellotron strings underscore the suspicious mind of "Being Blind's" protagonist. Maffeo turns in her most nuanced singing to date; like Astrud Gilberto, she gets plenty of atmosphere and emotion by exploiting the full resources of a narrow vocal range. -Bill Meyer, Ink Blot Magazine