the Good Witch

Week 22: Maisie Peters- Florescence

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I was delighted to see Drake knocked off after that atrocious album last week, and pleased to see Maisie Peters do it. I enjoyed her last record, and even though “Florescence” is an okay album, it feels like a step back from “The Good Witch”. The songwriting and wit are still sharp as ever and, of course, observational, which is what she is really good at considering her remote surroundings during her childhood, but this record doesn’t reach the heights of the previous effort.

Tracks like ‘Kingmaker( ft Julia Michaels)’, ‘Audrey Hepburn’, and ‘My Regards’ showcase her clever lyricism and memorable characters. Unfortunately, the majority of the record is less urgent than ‘The Good Witch’; I loved the intensity and cinematic nature of that album, whereas ‘Florescence‘ is a gentle stroll through Hampstead Heath during the day. However, some of the tracks like ‘If You Let Me’ (ft Marcus Mumford), and ‘Nothing Like Being in Love’ show maturity, but they don’t keep the listener’s attention. Like most of the album, the hooks don’t land, and the majority of the tracks all blur together, in stark contrast to her previous album. You would be hard pushed to find a fan favourite.

What I will say is that the record has strong, reflective songwriting, but it lacks the tension and ambition that made “The Good Witch” successful. It may be more mature, which isn’t a bad thing, but it lacks excitement and energy.

The songwriting is impressive, the tracks are easy to listen to, but your attention wanders too often. Unfortunately, it was a significant step back from her best work.

Song recommendations: ‘If You Let Me’, ‘Audrey Hepburn’, ‘Nothing Like Being in Love’

6/10

Week 25: Maisie Peters- the Good Witch

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The first I heard of Maisie Peters was a recent segment on television about her supporting Ed Sheeran. The 23-year-old signed with Atlantic after releasing two singles independently and released two EPs under Atlantic and the soundtrack for a British comedy series titled “Trying” for its second series.

In 2021, she left Atlantic and joined Ed Sheeran’s Gingerbread Man Records. This album is a joint venture with Gingerbread Man and Asylum. Her debut record was released Gingerbread Man titled “You Signed up for This”. Despite it not hitting the top spot, Ed has taken her on the road (As mentioned in the paragraph), so she is getting more exposure, and no doubt touring with Ed on his “Mathematics” tour has seen her sophomore album reach the acme. 

I listened to “the Good Witch’ via her YouTube, and I thoroughly recommend watching the lyric videos to the tracks. The lyrics are displayed on what appears to me as tarot-like cards. And fuck me; the lyrics are fucking mind-blowing. She is a phenomenal songwriter. I wonder how someone who didn’t grow up in a town or city can write so much. 

From the title track, I was immediately hooked by the absolute brilliance in her songwriting. How one talks about their rollercoaster emotions and keeps it interesting is mind-blowing. Aside from its lyrical brilliance, ‘Coming of Age’ is a three-minute pop song with panache and sets the tone for the rest of the record.

‘Watch’ is good regarding Maisie’s delivery, where she goes from melancholic to pure rage. ‘You’re Just a Boy (And I’m Kinda the Man) rips to shreds an ex, and she mocks him for good measure by professing she was “the man” in the relationship over a Katy Perry-esque dream-pop beat. Think Katy’s ‘Last Friday Night (TGIF)’. ‘Run’ is a mild drum n bass track, albeit under three minutes. I hope Hedex gets hold of it and adds a banging remix. ‘BSC’ stands for Bat Shit Crazy, and when you listen to the lyrics, it is hard not to laugh at the humour displayed by her, yet with a sincere delivery. I haven’t mentioned ‘the Band and I’ yet, which features early on in the record. Wow, oh, fucking wow. Amazing track with Ke$ha-like vocals where she tells in great detail about life on the road.

‘Two Weeks Ago’ is slightly confusing when you hear the chorus because instead of explaining her current mood, she declares, “God, I wish it was two weeks ago’. Her hooks on the album are extremely catchy, and the echoed lines will certainly be sung back at her on tour. The record ends with ‘There it Goes’, which is about letting go of love that is covered in snow. By this, she means that their love is cold and doomed to fail. I thoroughly enjoyed this record, which moves from dream-pop to ballad, to dance, to drum n bass, where she discusses relationships and breakups bluntly with the occasional sarcasm and humour. The album is also radio-friendly, with no one track over four minutes. It may be a short listen, but it works.

Song recommendations: ‘Run’, ‘the Band and I’, ‘You’re Just a Boy (And I’m Kinda the Man)’

9/10