Half Waif. Photo by Logan White

Nandi Rose, based in the Hudson Valley region of New York, records and performs under the name Half Waif.

The most recent Half Waif album is last year’s “See You at the Maypole.” It’s the sixth Half Waif release, and you can hear  several songs from it at her Thursday night show at One Longfellow Square.

The 17-track album is a tapestry of lush vocals and delicately stitched-together sounds, interspersed with elements of electronica.

“Figurine” is exquisite, “Fog Winter Balsam Jade,” featuring  the New York City-based choir Khoriko, is a haunting, almost spiritual offering and “Heartwood,” with its mystical spoken words, is enthralling.

“See You at the Maypole” draws you into another plane of existence, especially if you’re listening with headphones in low light.

The backstory of the album is one of tragedy shape-shifting into something unexpected, while still honoring trauma. In December of 2022, Rose suffered a miscarriage, followed by several months of significant medical issues.

This profound experience led Rose and her collaborator, Zubin Hensler, to rethink the approach to the “Maypole” album and its songs, which came out of a 2021 writing retreat.

“This wasn’t just my story, I wanted to say. It was every story of loss, the loss of a life, the loss of a dream, the loss of trust and hope and faith, a story of finding a way back again,” said Rose in a press release.

With “See You at the Maypole,” Rose shares her sadness, but also basks in the human joy of togetherness, hence the “maypole” reference, which harkens back to the ancient dance ritual of braiding fauna, flora and ribbons together as a community.

This sense of togetherness is why Rose is encouraging fans to bring a piece of natural ephemera to the show, like rocks, leaves, shells or feathers.

When you arrive at her show, you can place your object on the edge of the stage to create a makeshift, collective altar. When the 20-show run of shows end, Rose will create a rangoli using all of the items. Rangoli, Rose explained, is an Indian ritual artform, not unlike a mandala. The final step of the process will be dismantling the rangoli and offering the elements back to nature.

Half Waif with Kristine Leschper

8 p.m. Thursday. One Longfellow Square, 181 State St., Portland, $20 in advance, $25 at the door. onelongfellowsquare.com.

Schmoon (Matt Cascella). Photo by Bret Woodard

SWOON OVER SCHMOON

“Pretty Darn Pretty,” released on Dec. 13, is the new album by Portland-based indie-folk singer-songwriter Schmoon.

You’ll find 10 tunes that mosey and swagger along a rambling Americana road, beginning with “Sadly County Fair” and ending with the title track.

Schmoon is the moniker (and childhood nickname) of musician and filmmaker Matt Cascella.

Cascella’s goal with the album was to capture childhood nostalgia but also examine adulthood by embodying several characters, including a whimsical chap singing “Birthday Pancakes” and the tongue-in-cheek lonesome dude lamenting on “Table for One.”

The standout track is a piano ballad with an odd name. How can anyone be expected to take a song called “To a Butthead” seriously?

Let me tell you, I sure do.

With the most heartfelt vocals on the album, Cascella rails against the notion of living every day like it’s your last because that seems like an entirely exhausting idea.

Instead, he leans into the messy imperfection of death.

It’s easy to say goodbye to a butthead
Everybody dies and that’s alright with me
The key is to sing yourself silly,
Laugh off all the mad talk that’s snuffing out the scenery
Aging gracelessly is easier than it seems to be

“Pretty Darn Pretty” is streaming everywhere.