Hanh Truong on February 1st, 2021

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When singer-songwriter Madeleine Mayi releases her first album, “2/14,” fittingly on Valentine’s Day, it won’t be a box of candy.

For Mayi, the holiday is not flushed with effusive love, but instead is laden with painful memories due to the loss of loved ones on the week of Valentine’s in 2018 and ’19, respectively. “In many ways, this is my most personal project,” the Santa Barbara native says of “2/14,” “not only because it is based on real, visceral feelings I had, but because it really can mean something to other people.” She adds, “Everyone has experienced loss. Whether it be from a death in their close circles, someone from their school or even the loss of an important relationship. Grief comes from so many places in our lives.”

Each of the three singles released so far reflects a stage of bereavement with her singles, “ITRL” touching on denial, “Friendly Fires” mourning the effect that heartache has on maintaining friendships and “Love Me” detailing the thoughts of a person steeped in melancholy. Mayi’s vocals are delicate, yet impassioned; her harmonies are wistful, yet airy and seraphic (see “For Anything”).

The album’s starting track, “Smoke,” is a bit of a maverick, featuring a bold guitar solo and punchy rock-driven riffs.

“This record is not supposed to be a wallowing experience; it’s supposed to hurt and heal,” Mayi says. “So this is not just a story about everything being taken away — it’s about what love and hope you can find after losing something.”

Prior to this release, Mayi collaborated with L.A.-based producer Benten on a song called “Without You” in 2019. She initially unveiled her musical talents in 2017 with her EP, “Just the Six of Us.”

||| Stream: “Friendly Fires,” “ITRL” and “Love Me”