thousand eyes

MAGDALENE’s first track, thousand eyes, begins with a haunting acapella chant made up of several layers of Barnett’s voice. For the first few minutes, the vocals repeat while drum beats build in the background; Near the middle of the song, a main line of loud, somewhat ear-splitting vocals appears atop the chant. Judging by the last half of the song – a compilation of sinister vocal effects and distorted sounds, the album should be… interesting.

home with you

Track two, home with you – one of the album’s singles – spiked my interest in FKA Twigs. Its ability to change from segment to completely-different sounding segment throughout the song is incredible. The opening lines of eerie whispering, in which she again uses robotic vocal effects, lead into a chorus that sounds both angry and deeply sad. Immediately after, the song transitions into a contrasting bridge that features beautifully melancholic vocals accompanied by a simple piano . Next, the whispering returns, but with excessive distortion. Before finally, the bridge repeats, building upon its tone with more grandiose vocals and added instruments. I am left hoping to hear aspects of this masterpiece, rather than elements of thousand eyes, throughout the rest of MAGDALENE.

sad day

Presenting vocals similar to those of thousand eyes, without the heavy distortion, sad day lacks the creepy aspect of the first two. It makes the song somewhat underwhelming. She sings softly over a simple beat about ‘making wishes,’ making sad day reminiscent of many typical pop songs. This is surely the least interesting song yet.

holy terrain

The fourth track, holy terrain, was another of MAGDALENE’s singles. Featuring rapper Future, it is more of a crowd-pleaser. Its emphasis is on a loud bass line, rather than FKA Twigs’ vocals, which are pretty bland themselves. Holy terrain could easily play in an Iowa City bar without sounding out of place. Frankly, it is quite boring.

mary magdalene

Right off the bat, it is clear that mary magdalene discusses female empowerment; Its first line reads, “A woman’s prerogative, a woman’s time to embrace, she must put herself first.“ Dreamy instrumentals accompany FKA Twigs’ vocals, giving it a lullaby-like feel. This makes up almost the entirety of the song until it switches to a louder electronic segment near the end, which is more gripping than what came before. Over halfway through the album, MAGDALENE is incredibly underwhelming; After being pretty entranced when I first stumbled upon home with you, I am disappointed in what the album has to offer. 

fallen alien

In fact, I was so disinterested at this point, that I couldn’t find it within myself to finish, or so I thought. As the beginning of track six began, I was intrigued by its creepy (and less chaotic) intro, filled with dissonant piano and violin parts. When the vocals enter, about thirty seconds in, a striking bass line enters, eventually disappearing as FKA Twigs sings with strength not yet heard on MAGDALENE. Finally, fallen alien offers a track comparable to home with you, full of creativity and mastery.

Of MAGDALENE’s remaining three tracks – mirrored heart, daybed, and cellophane – mirrored heart is the only one worth listening to in my opinion. Little to no effects or distortion alter FKA Twigs’ voice, fitting the sad tone of the song, which makes it quite pretty. On the other hand, daybed and cellophane are incredibly bland, like much of the album. For the most part, MAGDALENE was disappointing, but its standout tracks – home with you and fallen alien – are stunning enough to make up for its faults.

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When I first walked in the door, I saw spectators all the way up the staircase to my right, filling the two large doorways to my left. Eventually, I found a spot within the crowd and saw Christopher-Rasheem McMillan – a University of Iowa graduate student who studies both Dance and Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies – emotionally dancing across the floor amidst disturbing YouTube videos. A teenage boy spewing racist bulls**t on Snapchat repeated over and over. 

McMillan wore a bland, navy blue sweatshirt. He had nothing on his legs aside from underwear and covered his face with a black mask. I felt that this was a way for McMillan to represent the black community as a whole, a statement that white supremacy is both a personal struggle and an attack on an entire population, though I am not confident in that assumption. However, I am confident in saying that the performance was incredibly powerful. I have to admit, in a way I felt uncomfortable. Interestingly, every spectator at The Mirror/The Reaping was white. I wonder if others felt the same.

Every once in a while, McMillan would respond emotionally. As the voice of a white slave-owner echoed through the room, he cried in anguish on the floor. At one point, he laughed loudly, but the laugh was ironic and devastating. For the last few minutes I was inside he lay on the floor, completely still, as the same videos repeated on the walls. As I walked back out the door, I heard a voice say, “You just have to wait ‘til they die.”

The post Witching Hour: The Mirror/The Reaping @ Public Space One 11/2 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Kicking off the album, “10/10″ – the first album single – explores Alex’s quick rise to fame and subsequent feelings of nostalgia. His transition from a life-long home, also the home of his friends and family, has left him confused and directionless, but he is determined to repair himself. Within the first 30 seconds he sings, “I feel like a five, I can’t pretend, but if I get my sh*t together this year, maybe I’ll be a ten.” By the end of the song, Alex seems to have successfully improved, repeating the line, “I’m living again.” A cheerful pop melody accompanies the optimistic lyrics, making for an exciting intro to the album.

Right off the bat, the second track, “Always“, contrasts the first. The first line reads, “It’s hard to make yourself believe that it’ll get better when you feel defeated.” Singing along with a not-so-upbeat jazz melody, Alex goes on to describe his feelings of guilt for being depressed, apologizing to his partner for being the way he is. He fears that he will never be the person he used to be and admits that he needs help, explaining, “Until somebody sits me down and tells me why I’m different now, I’ll always be the way I always am.”

“Laser Lights“, one of Pony’s stand-out tracks, expresses Alex’s frustration as he attempts to distract himself from a failed relationship. Although he goes out and parties, he finds no enjoyment in it, as described in the line, “I would up and leave this f***in’ bulls**t if it meant that I could see her.” Jazzy piano and saxophone riffs form a gorgeous foundation on top of which Alex’s straightforward lyrics flow effortlessly. 

In the brief fifth track, “Stressed Out“, Alex criticizes the so-called friends he’s made since entering the limelight. He feels taken advantage of, describing himself as a pushover in the lines, “I let them take control and take me for a fool. It’s such a shame.” Relating back to “10/10”, Alex’s new life feels fake and he laments his loss of the childhood friends who truly cared for him.

Another of the album’s singles, “Pluto Projector“, begins with Alex singing reflectively about a relationship over a lone guitar. Throughout the track, a choral accompaniment comes and goes, until the last minute of the song. A gorgeous orchestral instrumental is the apex of the song and, possibly, the entire album. “Pluto Projector” is a stunning display of Alex’s talent and a definite stand-out track.

Pony’s most upbeat track is the second-to-last, “It Gets Better“. In fact, the song is especially poppy even for a Rex Orange County release, which is not to say it isn’t incredible. Following the melancholy tone of most of the album, it is incredibly refreshing and is definitely pop done well. Regarding lyrics, Alex’s relationship seems to be a positive influence on his life. He sings, “She’s on her way towards me. That means it all gets better soon.” Still, even on this light-hearted track, the synth-based melody is briefly replaced with violins near the end, preserving the style heard on the rest of Pony. “It Gets Better” provides a needed break from the seriousness of the album without breaking the albums overall theme.

Finally, “It’s Not The Same Anymore” completes the album with a heart-warming summary of Alex’s current state of mind. After struggling through immense changes the last few years, he accepts that his life will always be different and realizes this isn’t a curse, but an opportunity to grow. Summing the album up in the final line, Alex decides, “It’s not the same anymore; It’s better.”

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