A few months ago, Montreal-based artist Magi Merlin released the calming single "So Smart," offering an early glimpse of her new album POWER HOUSE, which arrived this past Friday. It's a full-length that may have been overshadowed by some bigger releases, but it's well worth spending time with, especially if you're in the mood for funky, chrome-plated jams to soundtrack a lazy Sunday.
Across 12 tracks, the singer, songwriter, and producer, weaves together soulful vocals, steampunk R&B, and amorphous trip-hop, alongside collaborator and co-writer Funkywhat. Her silver-toned voice floats over bubbling, volcanic production that's both fluid and explosive, pairing raw desire with futuristic textures.
"Sin keeps crawling on my focus," she sings on the slinky standout "Crawl." The following track, "Pixxxie," pushes that lust into more intoxicating and conflicted territory: "Make me your pretty god, Lord / Love staring at me / Wait, um, stop / No, keep going." Another highlight is "Salt," a glitched-out vocal collage that feels sublimely fragmented. It sounds like a new life form learning to walk. Throughout, POWER HOUSE strikes a compelling balance between the unexpected, the immediately catchy, and the emotional complexities trapped beneath the surface.
In a recent Instagram post Merlin shared:
POWER HOUSE is a record I hope you listen to and come out the other end feeling like you are the strongest person because you are, we all are. No matter how stupid and frustrating we can all be I hold the belief that contradiction does not beget moral failing. it is simply a quality of being a human. And if we can exist here together knowing we can be the worst people on earth doing the shittiest things we can also be the best people on earth, creating a safe place to exist for ALL of us. I want you to listen to the music and feel every ounce of energy that you have (which is unlimited btw) and remeber you don’t have to take shit just because.. you can do literally wtvr**** the fuck YOU WANT BITCH. SO DO IT.
Listen to the album below.
