An Empowering and Spirited New EP from Magdalia
An empowering and spirited new EP release from Magdalia brings a thriving and sort of powerful undertone with it, breeding cinematic backbone, some vulnerability, loads of honesty, and the ability to really let you paint a picture in your head as some songs unfold, mostly due to the way she articulates her lyrics and lays them out there.
Pieces of Me is a pretty perfect title for the record because after listening to it I can absolutely say that this is an artist who is not afraid to give pieces of herself in her music, as a matter of fact, it feels almost like it might have been cathartic or therapeutic for her to write and release this record.
Songs like "All Those Scars" shine as an amazing representation of what this record is about.
The song is driven by this orchestral pop approach and soundscape that has an amazing energy to it, and this sense of building as it plays through.
Everything about this track is sort of alive and breathing, in a sense.
Her vocals come across with a very passionate or soulful approach, and you can tell this is all coming from an authentic place.
This is exactly what I mean by giving pieces of herself.
The song is about uprising and how the struggles and things that you've been through, the heartbreaks, the pain, all help shape who you become in the end.
You may have been through a lot, but you're still here. That says something. This song is a testament to those kinds of understandings.
At least, that's how I took the song. Others may interpret it differently, but for me, the sentiment was loud and clear, closed-fisted and impactful.
A lot of the songs take a similar shape. They feel theatrical and engulfing, but in a good way.
"Hanging On" is another great example of how she brings out this very big, massive feeling soundscape, and although the music may have strings, piano, live percussion, and all these amazing sort of bells and whistles, it's her vocals that takes the cake.
Her voice has a very unique sort of power behind it. It's bountiful, and you can't turn away from it when you hear it.
She has a natural flow when it comes to laying out melodies and hitting these little in-between sort of notes that make things sound more beautiful when you hear them.
The level of passion that's delivered vocally just feels like it's instinctual for her.
This one also comes from a very personal perspective and paints a great picture. Again, her storytelling is just through the roof. She can be detailed but not in a straightforward kind of sense.
It's not exactly like reading a book, but more like listening to someone's inner thoughts.
This is where some of the impact comes in as well. A lot of the record is her inner thoughts that come spilling out for everyone else to soak in, and that's sort of brave.
"Left For Dead" is a song that sort of takes a little bit of a different turn in terms of leaning away from the cinematic and coming into a more dance-pop sort of feel. The beat has a bit more of a straightforward drive to it, it's got a bigger pop sensibility, and it feels like it's got some classic '80s or 90s influence behind it.
The track still boasts some great synth pads that give it depth and a vast undertone, but all in all, it's got a bit more of a dance feel.
This brings us to my favorite track, "Out of Focus", which is probably the more radio-friendly pop single on the record.
It's got inventive, slightly outside-the-box style synthesizers flowing through it, that spacious underbelly is still there, the beat is a classic pop four on the floor style, and this one's just got a great energy and drive to it, where her vocals bring the element of cinematic tonality, instead of the music this time.
I love this track because it just showcases how she's able to branch out, still have the main staples that make her unique, but also just bring back that pop overdrive.
The title track of the record is the one that really combines all of those things.
"Pieces of Me" is the song that has the vastness, the cinematic flow, the powerful vocals, the ambience, and the pop tonality, all rolled into one.
This is definitely an EP that you listen to all the way through from start to finish because again, these are like diary entries.
You're getting real stories and emotion throughout this record, and it's a lot to chew on.
I would definitely suggest also listening to the record with headphones on because it's one of the best ways to soak in all of these amazing textures and layers that are happening.
Between synthesizers, percussion, beats, heavy-handed vocals, strings, and more, there's a lot to take in in terms of tone, and when you listen to this record with headphones on, you end up just swimming through it all.
Don't miss this EP. It stands tall in terms of being able to create a record that's produced super well, has loads of emotion and honesty, and knows how to balance the pop sensibility throughout all of it.
It was also created with very few walls built around it.
Dive into this one as soon as you can. It just dropped today.
