With Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Mahto & The Loose Balloons delivers souvenirs amidst four warm, stripped-back tracks packed with honest songwriting. Released on July 11, 2025, and mostly recorded alone in Mahto’s home studio—on a phone, no less—the project is proof that heartfelt music doesn’t need bells and whistles to hit hard.
Kicking off with “Parking Lots,” the EP sets its tone with breezy guitar strums and a detached, floating vocal style that comes to be quite reflective. He sings, “Call me on the phone and I wouldn’t recognise your voice / And that’s okay, ’cause we made the choice”cut right to the core. He tells a story about the unglamorous way people drift apart, and Mahto captures it like someone who’s been there more than once.
Then comes “Self-Portrait at 30,” a soft, introspective track where harmonica weeps gently behind layered vocals. Meanwhile, “Crisscross,” originally penned by Niko Graham but reimagined in true Mahto fashion, dives into inner conflict with his poetic minimalism.
The closer, “Lunch w/ You (Bagels),” hums with melancholy and subtle gratitude, reflecting on the small beauty in just trying to make it through the day.
Mahto is letting the songs speak in their rawest form, like a bittersweet relatable collection. Listen to Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue on Spotify.
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Review by: Naomi Joan