Maya Cook - salt
Aakuluk Music
Released on March 21st, 2025
Maya Cook’s debut album, salt, is both a toe tapping good time and a series of deep reflections that weave themselves into jazzy tales of strength and softness.
Swinging nimbly between exclamation and introspection, salt reflects Cook’s dual existence between Vancouver, BC and Igloolik, Nunavut. Bouncy baselines, saxophone, clarinet, and fiddle contribute to a rich blues-folk tapestry that blends influences from her Mennonite-Ango-Celtic ancestry with the sounds of home, both coastal and northern.
I wasn’t at all surprised to find the songwriter has a background as a circus artist, as her sound comes together with a generous touch of the carnivalesque. An excitable energy persists through this dynamic tracklist, from the insistent rock beats on “Silarjuaq” to the wandering riffs on “Cold Coffee”. With Cook’s emotional vocals and collection of instruments, a listen through salt is at times a driving force, while at others, so transient and dreamy that it’s easy to get lost in thought.
Produced by Jace Lasek, known for his work with northern artists like Aasiva and The Jerry Cans, Cook’s debut demonstrates the versatility and range of a seasoned artist, with a distinct sense of identity and connection to their craft already firmly in place.
- Tia Julien