Canada’s leading independent synthy songstress Hayley Stewart is back as MECHA MAIKO.
While her last album, 2022’s ‘NOT OK’, looked at various social-political flashpoints such as Black Lives Matter, misogyny, fake news, corruption and global warming, her ‘Nervous System’ is the theme this time round. It deals with more personal issues such as reclaiming anger, pleasure and all the mess in between. In short, as Stewart put it herself: “Boys are dumb. Let’s keep dancing”.
Appropriately opening with ‘Hello’, there are breakbeats galore and an eventual cacophony of a bleep ‘n’ squelch with appealing vocals in Stewart’s trademark kooky tradition. The less boisterous ‘Nervous System’ title song fittingly creates a more anxious melancholic backdrop over vintage drum machine for a wonderfully bittersweet slice of avant synthpop. ‘The Point’ follows a not dissimilar path, making use of some inventive rhythmic construction chained to a synthetic rumble and a vocal that exposes vulnerability.
There is an ominous punky stance to ‘Face to Face’ which is quite appropriate as it features Dan Werb of Canadian dance punk band WOODHANDS on lead synth. Meanwhile the feisty and rampant ‘Fool’ plays with the spectre of acid house, but in a style that is still very MECHA MAIKO with lots of bleeps and bop.
The chunky ‘Crawl’ is a fine slice of electro with whistling swoops enticing vocals and as our heroine declines a back-handed apology. Pushing the propulsive housey vibes with an oddly recurring ivory hit, ‘Don’t’ displays dismay with the assertive request to “DON’T F*CK WITH ME!”. ‘Tender’ goes thumping full-on techno to close another genre-fluid collection of delightfully odd electronic pop that is simultaneously naive, frivolous, tender, insightful and combative; so yes, like her 2018 debut, it is ‘Mad But Soft’!
After the world weary existential angst that characterised ‘NOT OK’, while ‘Nervous System’ displays mixed emotions, its 8 songs provide a motivating short and sharp statement that will connect with anyone looking find themselves again after a pattern of self-abandonment.
‘Nervous System’ is released by Right Click 2 Download, available as a kawaii pink vinyl LP, cassette and download from https://mechamaiko.bandcamp.com/
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Text by Chi Ming Lai
27th March 2026
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