From across the vast pond comes the music for this review. Hailing from Oceanside, USA, Makaio Huizar is a Youtuber and Solo Musician.
The song, titled “What am I waiting for?”, is described by Makaio as a song about “being so in love with an ex but eventually coming to the realization that your false hope and waiting is for nothing”. This itself is fairly apparent from the lyrics as you get the feeling they have a personal undertone he sings.
As the lyrics feel personal to Makaio they are mostly well written. You can imagine them starting as an inner monologue, written out over time then crafted into song. There are however a few instances where the words are too great in number. This results in an occasional stumbling feeling, fighting to keep tempo with the song.
This, on the other hand, could also portray that sense of chaos your mind could be in after breaking up with someone you loved deeply. There is nothing flashy with the way the vocals are delivered, but you can tell that Makaio has tried singing this from the heart.
A few instances of harmonies give some good depth to the sound. I do feel though that the level of echo/reverb is a touch too much in places. Listening over phone speakers it gets quite overpowering. In some spots it does work, giving the impression of a quiet chorus of voices behind the main vocal which is quite pleasant. It also gives a slight haunting quality at times which I love, but could be toned down without affecting it negatively.
Musically it’s simple. A repeating piano line for the majority of the number. This is accompanied by some quiet strings coming into the mix although it’s not overdone. They pop in for a short spell before fading out again before the final verse.
The song ends on a repeated stab of piano which is a bit of a curveball but gives it a sense of the story being unfinished. Makes you sit and wonder what happened in the end.
As a piece of music, you can see potential. It has some Jose Gonzalez vibes to it. I have listened a few times today, and I have to admit it did get stuck in my head. I would say that it wouldn’t be out of place being played over a scene in an emotional drama of some description.
A quick visit to the Youtube and Spotify pages greet you with other numbers that are of a similar feeling. The songs feel personal, perhaps this is Makaio drawing on life experiences and using music as a way to deal with things. Songs like this could end up helping others that feel like they are in the same mind space. Music is powerful if done right, and Makaio could be heading in the right direction but a bit more variety would be welcome.
On the whole, it’s not a bad offering. Although not quite perfect it certainly feels heartfelt. Maybe a bit of a rewrite in regards to some of the lyrics where it stumbles and a reduction in the echo/reverb. That is all subjective and despite this Kudos to Madaio for creating something different. A breakup song for the future generations perhaps?
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The post WE REVIEW A HAUNTING NEW SONG FROM MAKAIO HUIZAR first appeared on RGM : REYT GOOD MAGAZINE.