Hey all,
In today's music review, I am going to be listening to Maggie Lindemann's new EP released with 'swixxzaudio'. I've known about Maggie's music since 2017 when her single 'Pretty Girl' blew up almost everywhere, had a remix and then she was invited to do a collaboration with The Vamps on a song called 'Personal'. In 2020 she created her own record label where she write blog posts, have merchandise and works with other creatives, and she's almost converted into another alternative/indie/rock singer songwriter which is scary (but also super interesting to see). I think she's amazing, and I can't believe she's only 22 years old! Below are the 8 songs with their reviews, so hopefully you'll be intrigued enough to go and listen to the songs yourself!
1 - 'Knife Under My Pillow'
The first song on the album had quite a rocky introduction and in terms of the first lyrics, she sang 'sorry I don't mean to freak you out, I hear someone in my house' which could be a sign of paranoia as she might have experienced something like this before. The title of the album is called 'PARANOIA' so in some way, shape or form, they are all based on experiences that she's had, rather than reality. She continues to sing the lines 'I can't sleep without the lights'...'chills running down my spine, staring at the window, knife under my pillow', which are common things that happen / or that can be done if somebody is going through an experience they think is paranormal. She goes on to sing the lyrics 'unable to trust anybody' so there could be the lack of trust for anybody and everybody, or she's had nightmares about inner demons that have come to life. It's a great song to start the album as it gets you into the mindset of some creepy stuff about to be felt through the emotions of the songs.
2 - 'GASLIGHT!'
Up next, some of the initial lyrics are 'turn down the volume otherwise we're all gonna go deaf' which are spoken by a soft American voice, before the song begins and the loud rock instruments start being heard. This is the first song I have head by Maggie, that includes sceamo/alternative sounds which could be a taster for her audience to see if they will like it, or this could be the new style of music that Maggie has fallen in love with. The screamo lyrics sing a line 'kises on your neck when you're not around' which could link to something mysterious happening, or that there is a presence of somebody else to replace to real lover...Maggie goes on to sing some of the lyrics in a creepy tone, and they include 'where do you think, where do you think you're going...are you lost or lost in the moment'. I'm not too sure how to interpret these lyrics but she's either having a really bad nightmare, dreaming about somebody...or she's talking to a spirit! She goes on to sing 'your words will dig your own grave, it's time to choose your own fate' which is something a lot of people in relationships can relate to...as words and often more powerful than actions or text messages, so watch what you say, as they cannot be taken back...no matter how many times you want to apologise!
3 - 'Scissorhands' (feat Siiokbrain)
The third song on the album opened with rock instruments once again, including drums and the opening lyrics 'I warned you this won't end well'. This could be a song about a potential relationship that has had it's problems, and Maggie further explains 'why can't nobody understand I've got scissors for my hands' - referring to her incredibly long fingernails, or that the way she deals with these problems is with her hands, rather than letting people walk all over her (not literally). She explains that would love to hold somebody closer if she was able to, but she doesn't want to 'kill a man'...as she might accidentally fall in love with somebody in her dreams and kill them? I'm not too sure...all of the lyrics hint at certain ways to analyse, but they could have a completely different meaning! I think that's one of the interesting things about having paranormal experiences; as they make sense to the individual but when they try to explain it to everyone else, it could be mis-interepreted or misunderstood. Maggie sings the line 'I'm not ok, but I'm ok with it' and admits that she feels better when she's alone, probably because she can work out her emotions by herself without any inspirations or help from anybody else.
4 - 'Crash and Burn'
This song is definitely about relationships and potentially two girls that are in love with the same person. She explains that somebody is always 'walking out' and will 'never learn', so potentially avoiding the conversation rather than sticking up for themselves or their actions. Maggie almost changes the direction of her conversation by singing 'you picked him over me, and you left with no apology' which could instantly describe a relationship that might not be male & male or female & female, as the options were either Maggie or 'him'. She goes on to explain being 'stabbed in the back' but that Maggie was innocent, and if they would have looked in the mirror, they would have realised that they ruined their own relationship. Maggie continues to sing the word 'woah', followed by 'guess I gotta learn to let go'. This could identify that she is strong enough to leave the situation and continue on her path to love, or how she has been explaining through some of the other songs..continue spending time by herself and being alone until she's ready for any form of communication with anybody.
5 - 'Loner'
This song is called 'Loner' and opens with an electronic keyboard. The pace of the song is quite fast and also has a constant drum beat in the background. Some of her opening lyrics include 'I know I said I'd stop before I drown, I just took a couple of pills and I'm on the ground' which could explain that she might have an overdose problem or is only able to deal with certain situations by taking pills rather than talking to people. She admits that she doesn't like the feeling of coming down, so only enjoys being 'in the moment' rather than the consequences of what happens afterwards. She states that she is a loner and she 'likes it that way' and her favourite place to be is in a dark room without anybody apart from pain. She goes on to say 'i don't need permission to feel sad' which again, a lot of people can relate to. There's no point trying to hide your emotions in if you feel depressed or sad, and it's sometimes better to let yourself go because you'll often feel so much better when you've relaxed a little more than usual. 'I don;t need no witness to have my back' means that she doesn't need anybody by her side when she feels like this, but she's strong enough or brave enough to try and get over it herself!
6 - 'Love Songs'
This next song on the album has a completely different vibe to it, and is more of a slow romantic ballad rather than an electronic or rock tune. The overall message of the song is that she has found something that she can trust, and wants to be as open and protective of them as she can be. She sings 'you don't have to be tough with me, I'll protect you from it all' showing that she does have feelings, and with the right people she'll be able to keep people relaxed - even if they have other issues to deal with when she's not there. Some of the next lines include 'I just wanna make you feel loved' which is accompanied by some twinkle sounds in the background, showing that she truly does care for this person and 'you deserve everything life can bring' which also shows that no matter what difficult things she or this lover have both gone through in the past, Maggie wants them to be successful and adds that 'nothing compares to you'
7 - 'Different'
Song number 7 is all about being in a different place and not feeling happy with the environment or surroundings. She admits to having '2 hours left till I catch my flight' and that she always makes reckless decisions at quite late times (with this one being at 4am), but the motive of her travel isn't specified, it's just to get away and go anywhere else. She goes on to sing 'I'm so f*cking lost here, just wanna be not here' which are quite cleverly written lines as the tune of the song works really nicely and during the chorus her repetition f the word 'I just' several times is almost like her pleading to get away. I like the repetition of the words, and this is a song writing hack that she incudes within some of her other songs too, almost to emphasise a particular point of the lyrics. She goes on to also sing that she's 'always feeling guilty' so she needs to put the pain somewhere, and that if she tries hard enoigh 'maybe I'll forget my name' as maybe she doesn't want to feel connected to this particular place, so removing the pain, and forgetting her name will allow her to be this new version of herself that she's been showcasing throughout 2020 and now 2021...the 'new' Maggie.
8 - 'It's Not Your Fault'
The final song on the album resorted back to the theme of rock, and from the title of the song it almost seems as if somebody is blaming themselves for something, but Maggie is trying to let them know that it's her problem, not theirs. She admits that she is 'so sick of feeling this way' and is unsure whether she should stay at this lover's house or go somwhere else. She adds onto this she could 'sleep it off' and 'we could try another day' - so maybe she's not in the mood, or maybe she just wants to be by herself again so she can think about exactly what she wants. She sings mutiple times that she's better on her own and that she's 'not the girl you knew', which could simply just be explaining how she has grown up over the last few years, changed her look and/or her personality from the past version of herself that this person remembers her to be like. Concluding lyrics include 'sometimes good things fall apart' which isn't necessarily a bad thing for either person, as it means they can both fully focus on their own lives, whilst also supporting eachother...rather than having to be stuck with eachother, especially if they want their own space, and also want to work out exactly what they both want. It's always better to leave things on a good note than a bad note, because it means there's the option for it to work out again in the future!
Thanks for reading this review of the new 'Paranoia' EP by Maggie Lindemann, and I hope you enjoyed my analysis! My favourite songs were 'Knife Under My Pillow' and the only two non rock songs 'Loner' and 'Love Songs' as I just wasn't expecting so much rock to have been accompanied in the songs, and I'll just have to listen to them over and over again and maybe I'll change my mind about them!
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