“The Sun on My Skin”
Welcome back and welcome home to my fellow music Lovers of the greater Wilmington area. A Song of the Week brought to you a touch late because, as we all know, cars are unreliable, repairs are never cheap or quick, and reliable public transportation is an afterthought in the minds of our wonderful city planners. A dull, repetitive story but nonetheless, we are delighted to present another review for your enjoyment. A mere five days ago, Madisinn released her debut EP, The Sun on My Skin, on all streaming platforms and without further delay here are some thoughts on how it turned out.
Review and Exposition
“Vissi D’arte,” translated in English is, “I have lived for art.” Those familiar with opera from the turn of the 20th century may recognize this from Giacomo Puccini’s three act work, Tosca. Though I, myself, am in need of a familiarization with this work (I am positive the majority of us may have a lil bit of homework to do on this one), I have become familiar with the classically trained voice of Madison Grifaldo after having spent the last five days with her new EP, The Sun on My Skin. A sad reality exists for those curious enough to find an understanding of our peers in glimpsing behind veils into the intimacies of other’s lives, but attempting to do so while removed from their physical presence. Left to the world of pure-intentioned assumptions, I like to imagine that Madisinn (her chosen stage/performance name) was either nurtured in a world closely occupied by beautiful voices passed down generationally or some divine intervention transpired along the way. Maybe it was a bit of both, as the case may be, Madisinn is finding her place of belonging within a world of creation and musical exploration.
“I’m getting lost in you, the way you’re getting lost in me,” a sentiment wondrously illustrated over this track via layered, multi-part harmonies from vocals so focused, so endlessly trained that they tow the lines of what exists on a human plain and what may be departed on us seemingly from above. The meandering progression of the instrumentation from a lazing acoustic to a powerful accompaniment builds the foundations allowing Madisinn’s voice to investigate the range of her physical ability alongside being an emotional force. “The Sun on My Skin” is both the anchor and guiding light of the EP, an auditory epitomization of an intense feeling taking hold, ultimately consuming you. A place of learning is composed in tandem with intuitive examination in the song and leaves us to define the acceptance we come to under its grasp. “I feel a presence/ I hear my call,” as she arrives at a realization within and follows with self-actualization in the form of this release, she uncovers herself in the act of fulfillment. Madisinn utilizes “The Sun on My Skin,” as an externalization of one’s purpose and the recognition of what is to follow. One’s purpose is not likely to be found in a single moment in time. Unlike the apple that falls from the tree above, knocking a revelation of complex, worldly phenomena into the mind, the path to finding our purpose is painstaking and prolonged. Naturally results differ, but are developed through a series of intricate recognitions of the labors of love we endeavor to perceive candidly. Purpose may be found in the hours spent with, “days on empty,” as Madisinn declares on, “Everything Must End (Demo),” the surrendering of yourself to a power beyond our control (not necessarily divine, but found in the outside forces of nature) that she speaks to on, “Grapefruit (Surrender To Me).” The quintessence of our labor and the fruits reaped from its production, are found in the search for purpose and self-actualization. We can be unalienated from a rabid individualism, where work is survival, to a freer place where we can imbue our desires on our work to reveal our truest self. “The Sun on My Skin,” is that plain we aspire and work towards, and a place Madisinn wishes to see all in.
I spoke recently with a dear friend, Luis Mendoza (known widely as Visions of the Lens) on his thoughts of The Sun on My Skin at the listening party that traveled from Rose Ave to Bottega on the night of its release. He returned a piercing gaze mustered from a feeling of utter joy and said something along the lines of, “I turned it on, laid back and got lost in it. It was hypnotic.” I don’t believe he knew at the time that he was almost directly quoting from the EP, but such is the power of an elevated creation. The visceral reactions elicited by the production of art are both curated purposefully by the artist, and synthesized uniquely by each of its observers. When the intent and reaction meet in unison a powerful, intimate, and truly lasting connection forms. A connection that I found organically and honestly constructed by the work Madisinn and her team on The Sun on My Skin.
What’s Next
What follows for Madisinn are the infinite directions any artist can take, especially after the first release of an extended body of work. Currently with no scheduled shows upcoming, you will just have to stay in touch with her social media platforms to find out about future shows and releases, as I know I will stay in touch with whatever direction she chooses for herself. Find her @madisinnr on Instagram.
Ben “Danger” Matthews | PCE
Chief Word Person
The Port City Experiment 