MAISIE PETERS - THE GOOD WITCH
Two years on from her debut album, You Signed Up For This, Maisie Peters returns with The Good Witch. Across 15 tracks, Peters takes the listener through not only the realities of heartbreak, but also friendships, self-love and maturity. Throughout her sophomore effort, she maintains the personal pop stylings that have megastars such as Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift on her radar whilst also not being afraid to change things up with a ballad or a more rock-influenced track.
Kickstarting the album off is title track ‘The Good Witch’, a song which starts off soft before building to become a captivating pop track, layered with snippets of conversations the listener never gets to hear in full. The title track almost serves as a prologue, preparing us for the stories ahead.
Following ‘The Good Witch‘, we are thrown straight into the second track ‘Coming of Age’. Underpinned by a enthralling electronic beat, it’s almost as if we’re hearing Peters build herself up again beat by beat. Although this kind of track has been done before by plenty of artists, it undeniably boasts a captivating rhythm as Peters reflects on past relationships and, instead of breaking her own heart, picks herself back up. With lyrics such as: “Baby, I am The Iliad / Of course you couldn't read me”, the track dances between playful and personal in a way that is guaranteed to grab attention of diehard fans and new listeners alike.
Though it is deeply rooted in Peter’s experiences, The Good Witch is also an encapsulation of the wonderful, messy whirlwind that is falling in (and out of) love. This is especially highlighted in track 5 - ‘Body Better’. With two years between this and her first album, Peters had plenty of time to reflect. The core theme of this track revolves around the aftermath of a breakup and the ugly thoughts that arise during that time. She might have thousands of social media followers and famous fans but tracks like this prove that behind every song is a person struggling with something that will undoubtedly strike a chord with many listeners.
Strolling through soft piano ballad ‘Want You Back’, country tinged ‘The Band and I’ and pop-rock self-love track ‘You’re Just A Boy (And I’m Kinda The Man)’, we reach previous single ‘Lost The Breakup’. The vocals might be soft but the message is powerful and a joy to listen to.
Whilst the first 8 songs see Peters picking up the pieces, it is the final 6 tracks, [ranging from twinkling fantasy influenced bops (‘Wendy’), Taylor Swift esque pop (‘Run’) to introspective ballads (‘Two Weeks Ago’)], that shine the brightest.
The album concludes with ‘History of Man’, a simple and rather stripped back effort. There might be a sense of sadness gripping much of the album but there is also magic and joy to be found within it, which confirms just how beautifully crafted The Good Witch is.
Jen Rose
★★★★☆