Surrender: An Album That Knows No Bounds
Written by Chelsea Tiso
Graphic by Rebekah Witt
Following the critically acclaimed success of her Grammy-nominated debut album Heard It In A Past Life, Maggie Rogers is back with her sophomore album, Surrender. It’s a solid piece of art documenting the last two years of her life and the whirlwind of emotions she experienced during this time. The self-produced 12-track album is raw, gritty, and definitely sounds like “feral joy,” as described by Rogers early this year on her Twitter account. I had the pleasure of listening to her album before it was released on July 29th.
The album begins with “Overdrive,” a building guitar riff underscoring Roger’s signature harmonies and vocalization. Like the revving of an engine, these two elements gradually lead you to a powerful drum fill that kicks the dark and rich melody of the song’s critical moments into gear. The second verse and bridge, in particular, stand out as expressions of Rogers’ vulnerability and frustration with lines like “But I'm sick of sayin', ‘You made me weak at the knees” and “I don’t want to do this again if you’re gonna break my heart.” Instrumentally, it is clear that the last two years have allowed Roger’s to explore her sonic expression further, venturing into newer, more rock-infused avenues.
Though released as the first single, the placement of “That's Where I Am” in the tracklist makes sense. Its opening lyrics, “I’ve found a reason to wake up, coffee in my cup, start a new day,” contrast with the irritation communicated in the previous song and sounds like a moment of freedom has been found. Expressed personally as a song that “could run in the end credits of a rom-com,” “That’s Where I Am” is hopeful but has enough self-awareness that it is not naive. As the lead single, it’s a clear demonstration of the roads explored by Rogers where the mixture of acoustic and synthesized vocals and instruments flow through the rest of the album.
Surrender’s second single, “Want Want,” wears its heart on its sleeve. Written in her parent’s garage with former band member Del Water Gap, the song is primarily about seeking sensuality. With lyrics like “Oh, can we take this slow?/ Everybody's always known” and “...it's too good to resist,” the track explores honesty and surrendering to reciprocated desire.
Personally, I found that the next two tracks, “Anywhere With You” and “Horses,” stood out as the most solid pieces of the album lyrically. Combined with the newer elements used by Rogers, the stripped-back nature of the opening verses underscore the former’s narrative about devotion, chaos, and being laid bare before it expands. The latter, the final single of the album, is probably the most explicit and raw manifestation of Surrender’s themes.
“Be Cool” follows her appreciation for her friends in their ability to ground her and unite her with her truest self separate from the “sound of self-importance”. A common theme in her work as she balances the aspects of fame and attention with remaining oneself. “Shatter” channels the sound of the 80s with its earworm of a driving guitar riff and features the backing vocals of Florence Welch.
Sonically, the next track “Begging for Rain” combines the previous instrumental elements used to create a soundscape of rain and thunder surrounding Rogers as we find her at a rather intimate moment. Similarly, “I’ve Got A Friend” makes me feel like I’m a fly on the wall listening to Rogers recording in the studio with her friends (the track features the voices of fellow musicians Claud and Clairo) and her fellow collaborators on the album (Jon Baptise, Kid Harpoon and Pino Palladino).
The final three tracks, “Honey,” “Symphony,” and “Different Kind of World” all seek answers to questions Rogers expresses she is constantly dealing with. The former two deal with her stardom to some extent whilst the latter deals most explicitly with the uncertainty caused by the Pandemic. One of the more stripped-back tracks of the album, the simplicity of the track makes her vocals and lyrics all the more heart-wrenching. As much as the world felt like it was at a standstill, growth still occurred as Rogers sings “I'm a different kind of girl” for the penultimate time in the track before the instrumental bridge soars in. Once again, Rogers repeats the motif that not only has she grown personally, but sonically as her inspirations and new experiences have continued to influence what she puts out. In its entirety, Maggie Rogers’ second album holds there is the freedom to be found when we Surrender.
You can listen to the album on all streaming platforms.