Maude Latour has never been afraid of asking the big questions. On her debut single, "Sugar Water," the propulsive pop philosopher distills both years of self-exploration into a facile, soul-searching soundtrack to growing pains. “Sugar Water” is an emotional deep dive dressed in an infectious, glimmering pop exterior, the very kind of sorcery Latour has perfected.
“My first album is about growing up and losing things, which we all know is part of growing up, losing people, losing love,” Latour says. Sure enough, “Sugar Water” plunges headlong into the transitory rhythms of life, issuing existential musings in a giddy, synth-kissed rush. “Sugar Water” aches with nostalgia but also bursts with forward momentum, an ambivalence that mirrors the bittersweet push-and-pull of youth slipping through your fingers.
With her trademark poetic lyricism and an almost transcendental sense of wonder, Latour does not simply make music. She constructs whole worlds. “Sugar Water” is a sonic embodiment of holding onto life’s sweetness while it sticks even as it inevitably disperses. For fans who have tracked Latour’s trajectory from quirky indie darling to unabashed workhorse pop powerhouse, “Sugar Water” is her most pointed and ambitious offering yet.