By Dominique Tassell
Maggie Rogers’ sophomore album Surrender dropped on July 29 and proves Maggie Rogers really is a powerhouse that you’re going to love for a long time.
Her breakout album Heard It In A Past Life was released in 2019, riding on the success of her hit song Alaska.
While Alaska was a unique hit, Rogers managed to build around it to create an album that was cohesive but not monotonous. She has a strength for this, as proven in Surrender. In the streaming age, not all albums are built to be listened to in full anymore, but Rogers’s albums take the old-school approach anyway.
It was always apparent from that first video of Rogers workshopping Alaska that her approach to music is all about feeling it. She’s much more melody driven than other current artists, without leaning into pure beat. While lyricism is having a moment, Rogers seems far more interested in the artistic combination of vocals and instruments. The result is a creative approach to music in an industry where most artists are fitting into specific boxes.
Right off the bat, there’s definitely a different vibe to Surrender than was found on Rogers’ last album. Surrender’s vibe is mostly old-school rock, a little bit Fleetwood-esque, but is far more experimental than Rogers’ first album. It doesn’t feel like it’s Rogers trying to push her way into a new genre but rather her expanding her wings and creating what she wants to create. She still creates a cohesive album while broadening her horizons and holding onto some signature mainstays like her beloved layered vocals.
This album is definitely one to put on the list for road trips but also feels like the perfect album to put on and dance around your living room to.
The album starts off with the punchy Overdrive to set the scene for Roger’s new rockier vibe, followed by That’s Where I Am which really embraces that road trip vibe.
The third track Want Want is a song that was teased online and initially seemed a bit underwhelming, but even though it has a relatively simple chorus the song overall comes together. It’s not my favourite of the album, but definitely not a track you’d skip when listening to the album in full.
The progression of the album is almost like a wave, one which ebbs and flows throughout. Rogers pulls it back then builds it right back up again in the fourth track Anywhere With You. Next, the belty Horses begs you to give in, and it’s an easy request. The album takes a break from the old-school rock vibe and gets a little groovy on track six’s Be Cool, but it still feels cohesive with the album.
From that, we jump to synth-heavy guitar on Shatter, before Rogers pulls it back again on Begging For Rain. This one really feels like a wave washing over you, and is reminiscent of Rogers’ cover of Taylor Swift’s Tim McGraw at times. I’m not always a huge fan of the drawn-out outro, but Begging For Rain’s is brilliant.
Track nine is I’ve Got a Friend, which feels like a platonic love song. It has plenty of heart, more so than other songs with similar concepts that have been released recently. Rogers builds back up that wave again with Honey, another punchy song that has a bit of a 90s girl grunge edge. This one might be my favourite on the album.
Symphony feels like it could easily be the final song, and I honestly had to double-check it wasn’t. It has a beautiful finality to it that feels peaceful. Rogers seems aware of this and starts off the final song Different Kind of World with “one last song…” to erase any confusion. This song doesn’t build back up but instead rides that peaceful wave for a while. Right until the last 40 seconds, that is, when she wakes you right up.
Overall, Surrender is absolutely a success. It builds on Rogers’ first album, but expands her horizons and proves she’s far more than just a one-trick pony. If she keeps releasing music like this, she’s set not only to be a mainstay of the industry but a defining presence.
