“Hold Still,” Brooklyn local Mary-Elaine Jenkins’ debut album draws on the long traditions of southern folk to examine the perils of romance and loss.
As streaming has effectively erased the imperative to listen to albums start to finish, Jenkins’ album constitutes a thorough exploration of men and romance gone awry. Despite the often plaintive lyrics about failed relationships and disappointing forays into love, Jenkins’ balances the tone of the album well, interspersing love ballads with fun tracks that will get people dancing off their soul food. 
“Hold Still” doesn’t try to expand or experiment outside of its genre, but it works as a solid debut and puts Jenkins on a list of rising stars to watch.
The first thing you notice about “Hold Still” is her voice. Smoky and raspy, her tessitura proves throughout the album that it’s capable of communicating contradictions—vulnerable but controlled, wispy but steady. Thus, runs the album’s general theme.
The music on the album is solid, classic, southern folk – twangy guitar, soul-soothing rhythms, and easy head-bobbing beats. But Jenkins’ voice is what really sets the record apart. It’s impossible for her jangling vocals to take a backseat to anything. Many of the tracks don’t necessarily explore new emotional truths, but Jenkins’ husk brings a depth to lyrics which would otherwise sound trite.
As emotionally weighty as Jenkins’ album is, it never feels unhinged. The eponymous “Hold Still”, which takes a nostalgic look at a past relationship, somehow manages to feel measured and balanced. “Still kind lost but mostly found,” Jenkins rasps, “I keep having these dreams about New Orleans/You’re always standing on the corner of law and desire.” Whatever it is a solid reminder that Jenkins is in control.
The funniest track, “Iggy” an homage to the greasy king of pop punk, demonstrates the full extent of Jenkins’ range. The scratchy, lo-fi guitar opening perfectly synthesizes the dream crush Jenkins vocalizes: “I wanna be your sweet sixteen, /Even though I’m almost 29”.
As the weather turns cold, Mary-Elaine Jenkins’ album Hold Still offers the perfect soundtrack to bundle up to and watch the leaves fall. It’s lonely and melancholy, but defiant.
On “Fools Don’t Stay” Jenkins sings “Tomorrow morning I’ll get an early start/Building a barricade around my heart.” It is a testament to Jenkins’ vocals that this comes across as her objective analysis of moving on from someone rather than the jaded lyrics of a jilted lover. For fans looking for a distinctive Janis Joplin-like voice, or homesick southerners stranded in Brooklyn, Mary-Elaine Jenkins debut album offers the perfect soundtrack for autumn.
Hold Still by Mary-Elaine Jenkins
