Heard it in a Past Life- A solid debut with room to grow.

Music Review- Maggie Rogers- Heard it in a Past Life (2019)

A stellar debut album that has a lot to love. Though on first listen the tracks may feel similar with all of them being broadly airy adult pop that is easy listening and vocally a more innocent and playful Florence Welch, after a few listens the intense detail in the production and lyrics make this an album you will keep returning to. With a quick lull in the middle, the albums fantastic opening and finish leave a well rounded and well crafted body of work from Maggie Rogers. After a lot of speculation about the album, the tracks certainly live up to the hype as Rogers captures love, heartbreak and exploration in a nuanced and sophisticated manner. Though the themes are similarly found on angst driven pop divas like Taylor Swift, the lack of bitterness in the lyrics and the maturity to understand her own involvement in relationships breaking down are refreshing and needed in today's pop landscape.

With a barrage of pop gems that are elevated through listening through headphones, Rogers shows a range of fantastic vocal ability and lyrical mastery. She is able to capture a vulnerableness that is missing in many pop songs of today and the fact she can write these raw tracks while maintaining insanely catchy hooks is a talent she should be lorded for. Her lyrics marry perfectly the demand of critics narrative lead songs and fan driven pop hooks. Though occasionally it can be clear that the tracks follow a similar structure, it is a structure that works and causes you to be humming along from first listen. Even on tracks where the hooks miss the mark, the infectious production will get you swept up in its gorgeous swirls and euphoria that you will get lost in. Rogers clearly has an exciting future in the music business; you understand what got Pharrell so excited in the first place.

Sadly the occasional song misses the mark and can be deemed overproduced with weird inclusions like background talking or dropping metal that feel like poor edits and stand out like sore thumbs on the usually glossy and tightly produced album. In addition, occasionally Rogers loses her distinct sound and performs impressions of other older female singers such as Welch and Sia (likely caused by the Greg Kurstin production), but when Rogers gets it right she makes for a fabulous vocalist. There is most definitely more tracks on the album that work than don't, however the albums majority is filled with good leaning on excellent tracks with very few (maybe none) reaching the heights of undeniably excellent or phenomenal. It is a strong body of work, but has room for improvement and for a debut album that is an excellent sign.

Album Review- 7/10

Track by Track Breakdown:

Give a Little- With the first verse of the album Maggie asks us to forget everything we know about her so far and just hear what she has to say here and now. With Rogers being discussed publicly by likes of Pharrell and many others, it is fair that she wants to get a grip on her media attention and let her work speak for itself. Her lyrics set up that she is willing to start a fresh and give as much as she gets until people love her. The song is an instant ear worm with great props to the production for its snappy beats and tight sound. But, most respect should go to Ms. Rogers as her tone is elegant with a rawness to it similar to Florence Welch, yet more innocent and playful. She has crafted a well made pop song that is easy listening, has got high replay value and is catchy as hell. You will be humming ''give a little, get a little'' as you work for days. It is definitely the feel good anthem to have on in the background as you do housework. The track speaks high praise of her talent from the very beginning and certainly stands on its two feet without the online chatter that came before it. (8)

Overnight- Rogers delivery is rounded and her diction is delightful, it is a shame that in the modern pop landscape understanding a singer is a huge compliment. The hook is not as catchy as other tracks on the album, but the song is certainly a grower. And, soon enough after a couple of listens you will be anticipating the chorus and preparing to sing it from the top of your lungs. The tracks message is relatable and painful as Rogers waits for a lover and she questions how long she is willing to wait; it is a heartfelt interpretation of when you are willing to jump in with two feet, but your partner is indecisive or showing mixed signals. Roger's lyrics are mature and prevent them from ever reaching angsty territory usually found in Taylor Swift songs with similar themes; there is no bitterness here as Rogers understands her involvement and takes enough of the blame in the situation for the track to work. It is another easy listening track that the production is boosted by listening through headphones. (7)

The Knife- The opening verse Rogers does her best Sia impression that only slightly wavers during the chorus. The delivery of the verses gets a tad tedious as she slows the lines down emphasising every word and then elongates the last word of each line, the pattern is cute for a second but slowly becomes annoying. Also, ''the knife of insight'' metaphor is repeated so much that it feels Rogers believed it to be a more spellbinding idea than it actually is. The production is again tightly produced and snappy, but the sounds that come across like dropping metal in the background is distracting rather than engaging. But, for the most part the production is gorgeous with a nice piano swirl as the chorus kicks in that gives it a dance ready and RnB feel. Sadly, Roger's hook isn't the strongest and leaves the song feeling a tad under baked. The repetition of ''after dark, after light'' is not as sing-a-long ready as the other choruses and can be a bit grating on multiple listens. But, it is not a bad track per-say, just one that flounders in comparison to the great slices on the rest of the album. (5)

Alaska- With a chorus in her higher register, Rogers shows how versatile her voice can be. Her delivery is gorgeous and her airy sound matches perfectly the feeling of venturing outdoors. The cute boppy production feels like the kind of background track youtubers of the past would use to elevate their adventure clips - this is a compliment as she has captured the feeling of long walks and forest travels perfectly. The background Ooohs are heavenly and add an angelic out of this world feel to the track. One wishes the talking in the background was removed to make the track sound cleaner and fresher, rather than a bad edit. But, the talking doesn't stay around for long nor does it ruin the track completely. At only just over three minutes it is a sweet quick indulgence into Rogers beautiful world. For the most part, the clean production adds an ethereal feel that is boosted by Rogers soft vocals and takes you on an adventure. The last minute of the song is an album highlight with the production taking on a slow swirl that adds an air of tension that gets your hair to stand on end. It is a well crafted song that hits all the right notes. (8)

Light on- Sounding much older in her delivery, the song is perfect adult pop. It is easy listening that is angelic and listeners can easily get lost in. The pre-chorus is the perfect build up to let the tight chorus that fires off on all cylinders and gives it a sense of victory and achievement. The track details Rogers experience of fame and how she will always willing to be here and make music as long as her fans want her, but the lyrics are interchangeable for a relationship and wanting to stay with a partner as long as they want you. The message is sombre as she states ''if you're gone for good, Then I'm okay with that'' a sentiment that is exceedingly mature and appreciative of what she has experienced as she knows that she can be happy with what she has had. The whole track has a feeling of vulnerable happiness that is not a fragile elation that clearly must come to an end, but a sense of containable happiness that could be sustained forever. She does not rely on other for her self worth, though is happy to be appreciated. It is a mature lesson and a well crafted pop song that is catchy and fun. (8)

Past life- The only track written and produced by Rogers alone. The tracks production is bare, the tracks lyrics are bare and the vocal delivery is also bare. The song is certainly a change to the high octane production of the other slices of the album and displays a more restrained and vulnerable side of Rogers. But it is not better for that fact. It is too slow, the lyrics are too repetitive and though Maggie's vocals are beautiful they could have done with a bit more drama and life. Usually a ballad shows off an artists powerhouse vocals and ability, but she never falls into that lane and remains restraint and sombre. Though some may say this is a show of her control and strength of conviction that she doesn't follow the usual path, however other than respecting her decision you can't give her much more. It is a throw away track that you wont be coming back to as it is too stripped back to offer anything for a re-listen. (3)

Say it- Another track that shows off Roger's glorious higher register as she sings about having a deep crush on a lover after falling head over heels in love too quickly. It shows off Maggie as a romantic that lets her emotions grip her, but doesn't let her heart rule her head as she knows she can't speak to the person. It is an interesting track on the wildness of emotions and how they run away from our head and logic. The RnB inspired production adds a groove and a sleek background to the poppy track that is tight and glossy. It is certainly a decent track, but with themes that have been discussed previously on the album with hooks that are bigger and better than here, it is not a track that elicits the kind of passion and joy the others do. It is a tiny bit forgettable under the weight of the greatness of the other tracks. (4)

On + Off- A strangely non-discript track that feels like filler. It is okay, but really has little to it. The chorus is overtly repetitive and it is clear that Rogers likes to write choruses that are didactic ''give a little, get a little'', ''after dark, after light'' and ''on and off again'' that at this point in the tracklist feels a tad overused and not as effective as it was at the start. The repetitiveness gives the song a high burn out and a tendency to feel irritating. This is also increased by the percussion heavy production that hit you on the head like a continuous hammering that isn't pleasant and certainly leans on irritating. The track is just too heavy and overbearing to be a good listen on this usually sleek and glossy album. (3)

Falling water- A stand out on the album. Glorious production matched with a fantastic vocal delivery and poignant lyrics, this is a fabulous song. With verses that are just as catchy as the chorus, you will be singing along to this chill pop heavenly lyrics. It is sleek glossy pop that is infectious and oh so glorious. You will want the track on repeat as the song swells and swirls to a crescendo that hits so will and will knock you to your feet. It is light and airy, but in the perfect way that allows you to get lost in the production and get consumed by the euphoria. The vocals have a rawness that allows for some excellent voice cracks as Rogers clearly puts everything she has got into the delivery. The production backs her up and the thumping percussion that carries throughout the track gives her the foundation to go all the way and perform to the best of her ability. You will be returning to this track over and over especially for the fact you will have ''I never loved you fully in the way I could'' stuck in your head fro days. (9)

Retrograde- Another stellar track from Ms. Rogers. Though not as catchy as the track before it, it definitely has its own lease of life. With the breathy background vocals giving it a breath of life and a toe tap beat. The production again is really tight and plays well to the poppy beat and glossy feel to the vocal delivery. It is a quick four minutes as Maggie describes falling in love and taking a different course than expected. Her delivery is at its best with some really amazing high notes and long displays of talent. Some rhymes give the song a cutesy vibe to it, but as it is a love song it doesn't feel out of place. (7)

Burning- A fabulous pop song. It is the most commercial song on the album and would have made a fantastically successful lead single. It is a simple pop song, but it is never low brow. It is easily digestible and perfect for radio as after one listen you will be dancing and singing along. It is a clear love song and is relatable and clear, often pop singers try to dress up a love pop song as if they are embarrassed for writing about such a thing. Rogers puts her love on show from the beginning and is best for it. Her love is infectious and the cute production makes it even more lovable. It is likely a critic punching bag, but a fan favourite. There is no reason not to love this track. (8)

Back in my Body- With a glorious narrative that resembles diary extracts of Rogers past couple of years, and a chorus that has a gigantic and catchy hook, this track gives reason to listen to the album all the way to the end. It is a masterclass on marrying critics demands and fan ready hooks. It gives the album a victorious ending as Rogers has achieved a lot in the past couple of years and though at times it may have felt like she has left her body, she has not lost herself through fame. It ties together a lot of the themes of the album, mainly Rogers struggle with coming to fame, while still being relatable as a track about self discovery and success. It is the kind of chorus that is perfect to sing a long as an anthem of personal strength and fighting against the doubters. (8)