Album Review: Maggie Rogers - 'Surrender'
First bursting onto the scene back in 2016, Maggie Rogers was immediately earmarked for success following a University masterclass with Pharrell Williams that blew up online owing to William's adoration of Roger's early work however, in recent years she has proved that she is much more than just a viral sensation. With the release of her sophomore LP 'Surrender', Rogers has created her most cohesive body of work to date and has cemented herself as a bona fide superstar with one of the most distinctive sounds in modern pop.
Following the release of her debut album 'Heard It In A Past Life' and a relentless period of touring that followed, Rogers retreated to the Maine Coastline in 2020 to find some respite from her new found fame. Inspired by her rugged surroundings, the artist found extensive stimulus for a new record. Crafting upwards one hundred tracks in solitary writing sessions, Rogers had plenty to take with her into the studio and collaborating with Kid Harpoon, they worked closely together to whittle down her oeuvre to twelve of the most urgent tracks. With her new record, Rogers has created a body of work that stirs with the same tumultuous energy as the waves that inspired her.
On 'Surrender' Rogers retains the same distinctive sound that initially brought her fame and impressed Pharrell Williams so profoundly back in 2016. Folksy song writing playfully coalesces with electronic soundscapes to create a record that is at once joyful and packed with an intense emotional complexity. Chronicling the past two years of her life, the record reveals tales of anger and peace and self-salvation, transcendence through sex and freedom, through letting go. A timely expression of the emotional turbulence shared by a generation.
On her new record Rogers plays with genre more liberally than on her debut. Rock, in it's many iterations permeates her sound more readily on 'Surrender' and the record feels much fuller and much more rounded because of it. Lyrically and musically, Roger's new album feels more symmetrical than 'Heard It In A Past Life' and shows the growing maturity of artist and individual as she continues to cement her unique sound and identity.
Some highlights of the track list include tracks such "That's Where I Am", a cut that could be best described as a cocktail of Billie Eilish vocal tones and Shania Twain catchy country nostalgia. In addition to this "Shatter" is another stand out on the record, with it's nods to Synth Pop and New Wave. Think a modern take on the Flock Of Seagulls classic "I Ran".
Sonically dexterous and brimming with the frenetic energy of an artist coming into their own, "Surrender" represents another huge leap forward for Maggie Rogers following her critically acclaimed debut. Retaining her signature sound while experimenting with a new array of flavours, this record is a feast that reveals more and more of itself as you get more acquainted with it's many layers. Yet another triumph from one of pop music's most exciting outliers.
Words by Jordan Corrigan
