“Would you hear me out / If I told you I was terrified for days? Thought I was gonna break,” Maggie Rogers admits in “Light On,” the third single released from her album Heard It In A Past Life, which came out Friday, Jan. 18. It is this vocal vulnerability coupled with Rogers’ distinct danceable indie-pop sound that characterizes her debut LP. A work that gradually finds its footing and progressively gains strength, Heard It In A Past Life affirms Rogers’ transition from viral sensation to musical force, and shows that there is much more to expect from her in the future. True to her folk roots, the singer-songwriter takes time to delve into her struggles and triumphs. In being honestly reflective about her shortcomings as well as her resilience, Rogers manages to show vulnerability without becoming a victim.
Maggie Rogers was launched to indie fame after a video of Pharrell Williams hosting a masterclass for students studying music at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute went viral in mid-2016. In it, she plays her song “Alaska” for him and immediately after the song’s finish Pharrell responds, “Wow, wow. I have zero… notes for that.” And at that moment Maggie Rogers was officially given Pharrell Williams’ seal of approval, to many, automatically destining her for greatness. However, what is more important than Pharrell’s lack of criticism is the reason for why he didn’t give any: “You’re doing your own thing. It’s singular. It’s like when the Wu-Tang Clan came out… no one could really judge it. You either liked it or you didn’t but you couldn’t compare it to anything else.” Pharrell was completely right. As Heard It In A Past Life reveals, Rogers’ singularity in both sound and storytelling will continue to make her a musical force to reckon with. While Rogers may have to contend with her past lives, her present is wide open.
A combination of admission and self-reflection, specifically in regard to Rogers’ history with romance, shape much of the LP’s narrative. The opening lyrics of the song “Give A Little” set the album’s tone: “If I was who I was before / Then I’d be waiting at your door / But I cannot confess I am the same.” In this statement beginning track, Rogers yearns to start an old love with a clean slate. Instead of being melancholy, however, the song conveys a strong sense of hope for the future. Using a basic brisk drum beat, layered synth tracks, and signature dreamy background vocals, Rogers creates a sonically feel-good song that comes to the realistic conclusion, “But if you give a little, get a little maybe we could get to know each other… And if you give a little, get a little, maybe we could learn to love each other.” The song’s refreshing cautious optimism asks to take chances and lower emotional barriers.
Rogers exhibits a slightly new sound on the following tracks “Overnight” and “The Knife,” beginning the album on a slightly uneven note. A very conventional track, “Overnight” flirts with blandness as Rogers states, “I’ll still meet you in the middle of the night / But if you lie to me I’m gone,” with the backing of a pop piano riff. “The Knife” is one of Rogers’ more sonically unique songs, with the presence of a strong bass loop and tones of suspense throughout, underscoring the ominous references to “the knife of insight.” However, much of this setup is forgotten in a chorus that reverts to a more generic sound and vague lyrics about letting loose.
Rogers’ hit song “Alaska” admittedly seems slightly out of place on an album most notably sonically characterized by driving synth loops and strong, yet simple beats. The song’s ambient, ethereal sound, which attracted many early listeners, is mostly created by soft beat drops and dreamy background vocals. However, the presence of similar atmospheric background vocals throughout the album, as well as the nature imagery of “Fallingwater” are enough to grant “Alaska” passing cohesion. Rogers has continuously stressed the literalism of the song’s lyrics; she walked around Alaska training to be an outdoor guide whilst getting over a break up, so the song includes visual descriptions of Alaska and reckoning with romance. While this is definitely true, the simple beauty of lines like “And I walked off you / And I walked off an old me,” and “Cut my hair so I could rock back and forth / Without thinking of you” showcase Rogers’ talent for reflection.
It is noteworthy that “Past Life”—the closest thing the album has to a titular track—is completely written and produced by Rogers alone. In true singer-songwriter fashion, her voice stands alone against the swelling and ebbing chords of a piano as she recounts enduring through and analyzing her place in the currents of change.
“Fallingwater,” co-written and produced by Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij, uses nature imagery to take us from the icy plains of Alaska to an everflowing creek. Capitalizing on the album’s theme of feeling overwhelmed, the signature Rostam beat and simple piano chords allow Rogers’ voice to sail over them as she admits her past mistakes in neglecting love. Thankfully released as the first single from the album, “Fallingwater,” though tastefully understated, should not be overlooked.
“Retrograde,” a powerful admission of defeat that is interspersed with glimpses of hope for the future, is arguably the strongest track on the LP. While the upbeat instrumentation of this song, especially the presence of guitar in the chorus, conveys a sense of optimism, the lyrics reveal Rogers’ struggles as she feels like she is going backwards. The clash between the sound and meaning of “Retrograde” do not distract or create a sense of dissonance in the mind of the listener. Instead, the song creates an overall sense of catharsis as Rogers fearlessly releases the lyrics, “Here I am settled in, crying out / Finding all the things that I can’t do without / I’m giving in / I’m in retrograde.” In the midst of a breakdown, Rogers evokes Stevie Nicks’ song “Bella Donna” in a hopeful demand to herself and her lover: “Come out of the darkness.” With the complex web of emotions this song weaves, many of the lyrics, especially those in the chorus, can appear to be proud declarations, desperate pleas, and intimate confessions all at the same time.
In “Burning,” Rogers is overwhelmed in a positive way, by the sense of wonder that comes with new love. This unabashedly joyful song features a swelling chorus similar to “Retrograde,” but this time states, “I’m in love / I’m alive / Oh I’m burning.”
Rogers concludes the album with “Back In My Body,” a song about dealing with anxiety. A perfect ending to album, Rogers sums up her struggles of feeling like the world is crashing down with a resilient chorus that declares, “This time I know I’m fighting / This time I know I’m back in my body.” Contrasting the forceful beat of Rogers’ fighting with the atmospheric vocals of the titular phrase, this track tonally and sonically reflects the album as a whole. As the layered tracks of the song build and build, Rogers’ release turns a vulnerability into a victory.
