I walked off an old me: a "Heard It in a Past Life" review
Maggie Rogers: a name that's been skirting the edge of my consciousness for what feels like a while. I remember seeing her recommended to me on YouTube and Spotify, but I didn't take the chance to listen to her music until the release day of this debut album. That's when I discovered how her song "Alaska" was catapulted into the spotlight: it was played to Pharrell Williams during an NYU music masterclass. That sounds like a huge honor, and the video of that song debut is one of the most magical things I have ever seen. A head-bopping Rogers and tear-restraining Williams went viral, and it gave Rogers a record deal, an EP, and several songs that have defined her presence as one of indie's new reigning queens.
Once I heard "Alaska", it became obvious why that was the case. This track is otherworldly. The sound is a pleasantly off-kilter indie pop, touching upon the folk elements of Rogers' self-released music from earlier this decade. Her lyrics focus on the intimate landscape of Alaska, the "icy streams that / Took [her] breath away." And the message, how embracing nature can help us move on from the hustle and bustle of life and recognize the "space in between" it all, is super inspiring and makes me want to go on a hike or explore somewhere new on an overseas/out of state college term. Maybe there I'll find a little peace of mind I never knew I had.
This sentiment is carried throughout Heard It in a Past Life, a record full of hindsight, recollection, and taking it all in stride. Filled with Rogers' strident songwriting and vocals, coupled with co-production credits with some of the greatest producers working in indie pop music, this album is a journey unlike anything I've heard before. When Williams said she was doing her own thing, the evidence is all throughout this album. Rogers is a singular entity, someone who has found herself and is embracing it wholeheartedly. This is an inspirational and powerful record, one that warms a heart in the coldest of winters and gives it the chance to reflect on life in a way it hasn't before. It's something truly special.
The album opens with "Give a Little," an upbeat and propulsive anthem all about reaching out to everyone. Written on the day of the national school walk-out for gun control, Rogers was inspired by the students and their courage to reach out to protect those from all around the world. And isn't that what we should be doing, empathizing with those who needs our help? "If you would open up your heart / Drop your weapons, drop your guard / Just a little trust is all it takes," Rogers sings, and maybe that does sound a little idealistic. But in a world where "if you give a little / Get a little" like the one Rogers wants, everyone "could get to know each other" in ways that hadn't before. And when a song sounds this warm and fun, the kind of passionate summer anthem blasting out of car windows on the highway as the sun's setting, you can't help but believe in the message.
This insight is explored throughout the following songs, whether it belongs in interpersonal relationships or within Rogers herself. "Overnight" and "The Knife" both deal with realizations that Rogers is changing, but in the end, she'll move on with her life and just keep on living. The former is a synth-laced cut that confronts the shaky uncertainty underlying her confidence, while the latter just cuts loose with some fun guitar touches. The latest single "Light On" expands on the idea while reminiscing on her success following "Alaska," and the immense pressure she felt to maintain that peak. I like that she isn't afraid to go personal with the context of the lyrics here but also in her voice, chords breaking in such a heartbreaking way when she echoes everyone saying she "must be so happy now" on the second pre-chorus. But she's discovered that her music will always be there for her, and so will all of those who fell in love with her music. "If you leave the light on / Then I'll leave the light on," she sings, and I can tell there's a little smile in her voice as she says those words. It's all about that reciprocation. Be the one who supports, and the ones being supported will have your back too.
But sometimes that reciprocation doesn't work out, particularly in relationships. R&B-touched "Say It" yearns for a crush that would be so sweet if Rogers could admit it to herself and not fear that she "cannot feel this way so soon." "Fallingwater" addresses a falling-out that comes with the exhilarating rush of change, a waterfall breaking against rocks as Rogers admits, "I never loved you fully in the way that I could." Whatever happened in this situation, both partners ended up treating each other like the water. Rogers was pulled under the weight, and all she desired was to be set free, to rush ahead and never look back. Complete with fun rhythmic interplay and an excellent use of a tempo change, Rogers showcases some expressive vocal ability as she narrates this tale filled with the "full speed ahead" and languid natures of the creeks and rivers we've always walked beside, never really understanding how they reflected life until now.
When the reciprocation does work, on the other hand, things can take flight. Deep cut "Retrograde" references Stevie Nicks and tells the tale of Rogers visiting the past, whether an old version of herself or an old flame, and trying to capture the sparks from before. Its desperation resonates over the percussion and guitar-backed track, and it's impossible to resist the urge to cry along with this song. The following song, "Burning," is happier, rejoicing in finding a relationship that finally works. "I'm in love, I'm alive, I'm burning," Rogers howls at the end of the chorus, and that fire, that heat is felt as the track flickers and dances throughout its three and a half minutes. "On + Off" follows that same pattern, playing with rhythm and percussion in a way that leaves me spellbound. Rogers desires a partner to "take [her] to that place ... / When [she's] shaking or [her] mind starts coming undone / When [she's] on and off again." To have those people in our lives who are capable of such devotion, such love is a beautiful thought, and I like that even though Rogers mentions how fickle we can be sometimes, we will always come back to those we know will help us through those hard times.
Yet the most important part about reciprocation, sometimes, is discovering yourself again. "Back in My Body," like "Light On," rejoices in newfound security found in the world. But this time, it comes from Rogers herself, who knows she'll be able to find her past self and fight to defend her honor. But "Past Life" takes Rogers' riotous power and translates it into a piano ballad, a quiet observation that she can "feel the change a'coming" slowly building until a climatic bridge.
"I knew it / When it started / Felt the shift right / As it parted / Saw my feet right / Down below me / Saw the whole room / Move around me / Saw my old life / And my old friends / Saw me haunted / Saw me back again"
By the time the fortissimo decrescendos, Rogers realizes, "Maybe there's a past life coming / Out inside of me / Maybe it's the song I'm singing." Perhaps a greater purpose has been realized: all this growth, this evolution, is leading Rogers back to a life she's lived before, whether it's her in the past or someone with her essence that lived ages ago. But it's Rogers' job to share that story, to live through her music and relive these emotions so they can finally be realized. To recognize this ability is an absolute blessing.
Heard It in a Past Life is already giving 2019 a run for its money. It may remind you of other artists in the indie pop or alternative scenes, but Maggie Rogers is her own trailblazer, creating the kind of power I aspire to have. Her album is an absolute treat, perfect for those times when you need to dance or reflect on life. With a powerful voice, magical lyrics, and great production, Rogers is sure to take you on an unforgettable journey.