As far back as what can now be called her “big break” – the viral video of her as a college student, impressing Pharrell Williams in a masterclass – it was clear that Maggie Rogers has always had faith in her own ability.
After conquering territories around the world with 2019′s Heard It in a Past Life, the Maryland-born artist returns with another collection of dauntless pop songs with an “art house” heart. Surrender’s solid core of synth-pop and surging choruses probably won’t surprise those familiar with Rogers’s style; this is a similar blueprint to what came before, perhaps with a more sure-footed swagger on songs like the kiss-off of That’s Where I Am, the rock-tinged bustle of Different Kind of World, or the 1980s-tinged jitter of Shatter.
The musical touchpoints of acts such as Lorde (audible on Want Want) and former touring mates Haim (on the dreamy Be Cool) remain steadfast, although she does impose a Sharon Van Etten-esque atmospheric darkness on Anywhere With You.
The acoustic-led Begging for Rain and the twangy guitar-pop of I Got a Friend disrupts the sometimes overbearing slick production.
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There’s no doubt that Rogers is a talented musician, but it’s often difficult to make a real emotional connection with these surface-level songs. That said, there’s no doubt you’ll be hearing more of them on daytime radio. maggierogers.com
