REVIEW: Marla Lewis — Blue Horizon (LP)

Marla Lewis serves up a cosmic beauty in the form of her latest jazz single “Blue Horizon”. The first dazzling single leading up to the release of her new album “SONGBOOK”, this single showcases some of the best of Lewis’ wondrous abilities. From the start with a wonderful instrumentation thanks to producer Bob Strander, every little detail shines from the cosmic and dainty opening of percussion segway-ing into some of the best and unflashy guitar work I’ve heard this year.

Unflashy is a great way to describe this piece and the work of Lewis as a whole. She has a knack for taking some fantastical themes and ideas but grounding them with plenty of heart and soul, such as in lyrics like “Lift off’s not easy, you have to hold on tight”. The whole song seems simple enough, it can be read as a love ballad or even more generally a call to fantasy, getting swept up in dreams of a bigger space and a brighter cosmos. Lewis leans into this with imagery of stars and my friend a “supernova dance”. Her voice is a grounding if not guiding light throughout this journey that she takes us on. Lewis grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald, big band, folk music, and more and she wears those influences firmly on her sleeve.

For a production that that feels so contemporary, there’s also something that feels timeless about it. Like a rat pack song lost to time that’s been uncovered and imbued with a singular voice. The backing chorus that comes in too is just an inspired choice and showcases the thought that went into every aspect of production. Lewis has a very strong voice that in poorer circumstances could have been drowned out by the production, but here everything is evenly leveled and every instrumentation gets a standout bit such as the extended guitar sequence in the middle. By the time things come to a close with a choral reprise and bringing back the backing chorus, everything just feels harmonious.

There’s an otherworldly quality to it like it stepped out of classic Hollywood or the heyday of jazz standards. Originally, Lewis got her start in children’s music and has even been featured on grammy-winning records, and I’m sure by virtue of eclectic collaborations, she’s brought everything she’s learned so far to this single and hopefully to this forthcoming record. It might not be the densest song on a lyrical level, but not every song has to be. The most important thing is that it comes from an honest place built on the backbone of hope for something greater than any of us. It’s lofty and unrealistic, and even a little saccharine in places, but isn’t that how the greatest of romances has felt before?

This gets me incredibly excited for SONGBOOK and any future project someone as versatile as Lewis has ready in the pipeline. Blue Horizon will be released on August 12th and will be available on most major streaming platforms.

Colin Jordan