If “System Crash” was the moment everything fell apart, then Melissa Geurts’ follow-up record “maintenance mode” is what it looks like to pick up the pieces and figure out how to keep going. The Canadian electronic artist and self-described creator of “nervous system anthems” has built a dark synth-pop world that lives in the strange, unglamorous space after the trauma is technically over but life still has to happen anyway. This is music for the post-therapy comedown, and it is some of the most emotionally precise electronic music you will hear this year.
“I’m basically publishing my therapy notes set to music. But vulnerable isn’t the same as weak. This album sounds like someone who’s done protecting other people from her own clarity.” – Melissa Geurts
Geurts opens the record up strongly with “not because it’s romantic,” a luscious, contagious track built for flashing lights and late nights that somehow carries the full weight of mental collapse and future dreaming at the same time. The production immediately signals that this record is not going to play it safe. “temper temper (lumière menteuse)” follows with darker synthesizers and a buzzing sound that almost convinces you it is an electric guitar, one of the most striking sonic choices on the entire album. What makes Geurts’ work especially compelling is her voice: processed and effected, yes, but never losing its unmistakably human core, which means listeners who would not typically seek out electronic music will find something to hold onto here.
“My first album was called System Crash. Funny, looking back — that’s the breakdown one. This one’s maintenance mode. The part after. Hopefully the next one I’ll be healed. We’ll see.” – Melissa Geurts
“televised advertised” introduces partial Dutch lyrics alongside bouncy synths and a sharp meditation on materialism, asking what is actually worth holding onto and arriving at the liberating conclusion that most of it is made up. “talk to a wall” then pulls you into a haunted underground nightclub atmosphere where Geurts projects a confidence that needs no outside validation whatsoever. The production on “rest/push/collapse” brings in glitching effects and heavy synths to capture the particular exhaustion of trying to relax and finding it impossible. On “(i do)” she delivers one of the most quietly devastating lines of the year, a wish to be left alone but not forgotten that will stop a lot of listeners cold.
The title track “maintenance mode” is the record’s centerpiece and an outright masterpiece of glittery electro pop. Its hook digs in immediately and the experimental production surrounding it is some of the strongest work Geurts has ever put to tape. “mirage year” brings a heavy danceable beat underneath sultry vocals and a forward-looking emotional uncertainty that feels completely honest. A soft ballad arrives unexpectedly and shifts the entire mood of the record, with Geurts singing plainly and sweetly about her second marriage in a few lines that land with more impact for how matter-of-fact they are. Then “i think i deleted it” kicks the energy back up with dark electro pop and one of the catchiest choruses on the album, a song about refusing to save someone who has hurt you and taking your power back without apology.
“interlude (still)” offers a beautiful, healing breath of space before “borrowed confidence” closes out the main run of the record with a rave-ready beat and an honest reckoning with imposter syndrome. The finale, “still here though,” is less of an ending and more of a door swinging open. Geurts has made it through the storm she has been documenting across two albums, and this song has the unmistakable feeling of something beginning rather than concluding. Whether or not it points toward the next chapter in her catalog, “maintenance mode” stands entirely on its own as one of the most complete and emotionally rewarding electronic records in recent memory.
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Written by Ryan Cassata
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Rock the Pigeon is an independent music and culture blog dedicated to uplifting emerging artists, spotlighting underrepresented voices, and sharing fresh sounds across genres. Since 2012, we’ve been celebrating creativity, authenticity, and the stories behind the songs.