Berklee Singer-Songwriter Rea Tries Her Hand at
Electronic Pop with Self-Produced EP

By Jillian Barrows

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Singer-Songwriter and Berklee student Maria White, also known by her artist name “Rea”
released her new EP “Call Me”, a 4-track electronic dream pop effort that displays her skills as
her own producer and the ability to write in a genre outside her comfort zone. With incredible
imagery in her lyrics and catchy hooks, Rea gives the listener a look into moments of profound
heartbreak and the sadness and anger from past relationships.

Rea, who hails from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, revealed the inspiration to self-
produce this project was due to her desire to become more knowledgeable about recording
music so she could produce and record her own demos. “I took a few classes and worked with
friends and am still teaching myself,” Rea explained in an interview. “I started to produce
electronic beats with a pop flavor, then I’d write lyrics and melodies over the track I created.”
Each song on this EP stands on it’s own, with the opening track “Frozen” immediately
captivating the listener with dreamy synth sounds and pulsating beats. Her use of metaphorical
lyricism in this track is engaging, with a beautifully effective chorus that displays a sense of
melancholy and pity she feels describing the cold heart of a past love. Her delicate vocal tone
over the 80s-vibe synths blends well together.

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The title track, “Call Me”, showcases some of Rea’s best moments on this EP. You can feel the
emotional anticipation for the chorus with deep techno bass sound. The lengthier first verse
reminds you of the feeling of waiting patiently for a phone call that inevitably will never come.
But once the chorus hits you, the melodic hook is gravitating when she begs the question of
“Why won’t you call me?”

Rea then dives into a much deeper subject in “Gun”, which appropriately begins with only her
and the piano, as she sings “empty are my dreams, you took all from inside of me”. Her sorrow
is profound throughout the lyrics of this track and the change of modes in the chords go well
with the pain in her voice as she describes a doomed relationship: “You are what’s killing me,
we’re going down.”

Rea’s unique take on the Spice Girls’ “Say You’ll Be There” concludes the EP as she uses her
production skills to deliver her own personal version of this song, one that she really connected
with. Her tight harmonies and use of bluesy notes in parts of the melody give it real originality,
so much that you would think this was her own song if you heard it for the first time.
It’s obvious that Rea proves herself to be an exceptional songwriter and producer with “Call
Me”. Her smooth melodies, deep lyrics, and creativity with the production of each song leaves
you wanting more, and the strong use of metaphor and imagery allows the listener to reflect on
what they hear, as they are very relatable experiences. She said that each song is significant to
her life, and she is very proud of the outcome. “I wanted to express another version of myself
through this music; they are all a piece of me.”

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