Helene Cronin

• Maybe New Mexico [self-released, 2025] A-

Consumer Guide Reviews:

Maybe New Mexico [self-released, 2025]
A well-put-together middle-aged woman who's won some local festival prizes, Cronin is so unassuming in her electric-folk way that you may not notice the lyrical acuteness of an album where the second song goes: "Oh the one who's more in love/Is at the mercy of/The one who doesn't feel it as strong/And that's how the power lines are drawn." Or how about "I want to leave this place better than I found it/Take a breaks my heart and wrap my arms around it/I wanna put a little good out into the world/Shine a little light in the dark/I want to leave my maker's mark"? You may think those sentiments are corny, but in part that's because they're true, and seldom have said truisms been put so acutely or originally. So if you're still unimpressed maybe that's because you're an asshole. A-