MAGGIE ROGERS
Resonant Music
Maggie Rogers may one day escape the moniker of being that girl whose meeting with music producer Pharrell Williams went viral, and her first show in Japan proved that she more than has the musical chops to do so. By the time she was demo-ing her hit track “Alaska”, the precocious singer had already released two albums herself and so when she acknowledged that an EP was hardly enough to warrant a full live, she was able to pull on her earlier work to plug the gaps, even adding that “Resonant Body” was, in fact, a homework assignment.
“Dog Years” immediately places Rogers within the identifiable of strong tradition of female singers such as festival cohort Lorde, CHVRCHES and even Grimes. The drum “thwack” of “Resonant Body” and with dance numbers later in “Song 7/8” show a side that could produce big pop numbers, and it seems a shrewd move to incorporate this electronic alongside a folk-inspired base (think Of Monsters and Men), which makes room for further experimentation and diversity. “Better” and “Harvest Moon” show a side which hold to its roots in echoing, smokey guitar mood, perhaps harking back to acknowledged influence Patti Smith.
Final song “Alaska” closes the set, and receives the biggest cheers of the day. A multi-layered piece which incorporates natural elements into such as dove coos, thigh slaps and other organic hints, the song is a perfect vehicle for the sense of whimsical reverence conveyed in her voice. There’s a lot of potential in Rogers, and it will be no surprise to see her back at Fuji Rock in a few years holding court somewhere a little more fitting for that natural theme running through her work.
