Photo credit: A Gingerbread Man Records / Asylum Records UK / Warner Music UK Limited. / Felion Limited
9/10
Project Information:
Release Date: 06/23/2023
Genre: Pop
Label: A Gingerbread Man Records / Asylum Records UK / Warner Music UK Limited. / Felion Limited
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Maisie Peters, the British singer/songwriter is back with her sophomore album, full of powerful songwriting and dynamic melodies. ‘The Good Witch‘ is a collection of 15 tracks that explores themes of self love and heartache with Maisie’s true ability to tell stories through her songs. The album features a range of tempos and moods, from upbeat fast pop songs to slow burn ballads, making it incredibly versatile record that can be easily described as ´sad girls pop goes wild´. She tells us a story of a breakup as we follow her through the multiple stages.
The Good Witch – The album’s title track is a perfect introduction to the record. A slow burn dream pop song at its finest, thrives on Maisie’s striking vocals. The song is about her struggle to move on from a past relationship while trying to find her closure. Her little emotional journey to find peace and forgiveness within herself. The track ends with her singing
Am I better yet?
When all I do is think about the past
Make it a universe that you can live in
You wanna hear from all the people in my heart
Well OK, when it kicks in
suggesting we’re here for an emotional ride as the album unveils.
Coming Of Age – Big up-tempo song with intense beats and catchy sound that drives on high energy and leaves us feeling pumped and ready for anything. Peters reflects back on an intense relationship that ended and how she wished, she had seen the truth of the situation sooner.
Watch – The song was produced by Swedish producer OZGO – Oscar Görres – who famously worked with pop icons such as Hilary Duff, MARINA, Britney Spears and Katy Perry. ‘Watch’ serves as a perfect blend of catch pop hooks and emotional lyrics, making it one of the albums biggest standouts and perhaps the most mainstream song of the album. Lyrically, the song will resonate with anyone who has experienced a painful breakup – when sometimes you struggle to move on and feel like – all you do is watching them succeed, while you’re not ready to let go.
Body Better – The lead single of the album and possibly the most candid one. Upbeat pop vibe with dark twist in form of intimate lyrics. The song is touching on the subject of body insecurity and Peters questioning her own self-worth. Captures the pain and frustration of watching the other person move on with someone else
The worst way to love somebody is to watch them love somebody else and it work out
Now, I can’t help thinking that she’s got a better body
Has she got a body better than mine?
Want You Back – A melancholic piano driven ballad, that adds melodic guitar riffs for more steady rhythm right after the first chorus. Ed Sheeran’s backing vocals and guitar tracking fuels the intensity of this song.
She’s reminiscing about a past relationship, feelings of longing and acknowledges the relationship wasn’t healthy, didn’t last, yet she can’t help and want them back.
So, I know that you did bad
But, if one more person says it, I might go mad
Yeah, I know it didn’t last
And what was cheap to you, to me, was all I had
Thе issue is, I know all of this and I
I still want you back
The Band And I – The song is about friendship and the ultimate love letter to her band. A beautiful acoustic guitar, complementing the optimistic vibe of the song, takes us on a journey through her first North American tour.
You’re Just a Boy (And I’m Kinda the Man) – Initially, the song is about self love and shows Peters emotional growth and transition to adulthood. Vivacious and lively melody is the core for this song. She compares herself to a one-woman circus and realizes it is time to let go (as she should as we’re quite literally on track nr. 7 😉)
The other person is just a boy and she is moving on, on her own one-way journey – to take over the world.
Lost The Breakup – Second released single from the album and another one produced by OZGO. Catchy sound and piercing lyricism makes this, one of the pop highlights of the album. Once again, we’re dealing with heartbroken Maisie but towards the end she shifts and indicates her own triumph over the heartbreak and a new sense of freedom.
Wendy – Personally, Wendy is my favorite song of the album as it gives us a spin on heartbreak ballad anthem, that captures the pain and confusion, that often goes with the end of a relationship. Maisie’s soft yet strong vocals accompanied by string guitar are building up in intensity as she tells a Peter Pan-like story; clearly taking lesson from Taylor Swift’s book of subtle pop:
You could take me to Neverland, baby
We could live off of magic and maybes
I could love you and wait ’til you’re ready
But what about my wings? What about Wendy?
Ultimately she decides to take control by ‘locking the window and turning on the AC’, symbolizing her refuse to be drawn into a relationship, that will not allow her to fulfill her own dreams.
Run – The song’s arrangement features all the electronic elements that are significant for Brit pop. With an attention-grabbing chorus, driving the energy higher and higher, the tone of the song is cautionary and empowering, urging women to be strong, to trust their instincts, and to avoid toxic relationships.
Two Weeks Ago – Third released single from the album is a slow piano ballad with a gentle melody, combined with bittersweet but relatable lyrics. The song is filled with a sense of nostalgia and sadness. Peters was able to capture raw emotions as she desperately wants to relive those moments ‘two weeks ago’ and hold onto the times she shared with her partner.
BSC – The song hits you with a strong beat right from the beginning, but it’s the accelerating drums on chorus that create the right sense of chaos as we listen to her go ‘actually bloody motherf***ing batshit crazy’. You can sense the frustration and anger in her voice performance. Lyrically, she admits to pretending to be okay, but in reality, she is not and she feels like she is going crazy.
Therapy – From the start, the high and cheerful melody fools us into thinking, we’re listening to a happy go lucky song, until we’re proven wrong. As Maisie sings about the difficulty of healing from emotional trauma and the idea of promises and how they can be both uplifting and destructive.
You gave me the world and you gave me your word
It built me like a promise ’til it broke me like a curse
With another particularly powerful chorus, and the repetition of “back to therapy” that emphasize one’s struggle to deal with their emotions, she’ s assuring us that this is a no-skip record
I’m just talking to your memory
I still love you, but you’re taking me
From your arms
Back to therapy, therapy
There It Goes – A song that demonstrates Peters’ personal life after the breakup, with things finally going back to normal, she has now successfully moved on and she’s found peace. This pop infectious tune is a perfect for anyone in a need of confidence boost or a dance.
History Of Man – Last ballad on the album serves as a closing song and proves to be a great choice to do so. The low-key feminist anthem of the record that summarize the experience of being a woman in the history of man. Maisie’s passion driven vocals carry the weight of the song as she sings:
He stole her youth and promised heaven
The men start wars yet Troy hates Helen
Women’s hearts are lethal weapons
Did you hold mine and feel threatened?
The Good Witch is a compelling and honest body of work that is sure to delight her fans and introduce her music to a wider audience. Maisie’s talent is undeniable and it’s a promising sign of what’s to come in her career.
