MAWD: Demons Single Review

I’ve always had mixed feelings about MAWD. Sometimes I think her music and vocals are really good, and other times it makes me want to tear my hair out.

I can’t say that “Demons” is the most astounding track I’ve heard from MAWD – I still really enjoy “Dark Room” and “Wandering Eye” – but it is certainly the most interesting musically. It has a dark aura surrounding it, unlike the aforementioned “Dark Room.” The bass-y guitar riff, horns, and harmonies remind me of an Adele song; it has that familiar feel to it that is easily recognizable along with “Rolling in the Deep” or “Rumour Has It.” Lyrically, it’s not too much of anything special, but it’s worth noting that “Angel on my left, devil on my right” swerves with the mood of the chorus, and is further carried down the rabbit hole with the reference to alcohol numbing the pain of missing a significant other.

If there’s one thing to be said, “Demons” is without a doubt the easiest song to love in MAWD’s discography. I still stand by what I said about her voice: it is an acquired taste that doesn’t appeal to everyone (including me, sometimes). But her vocals on this track are closer to the sound of artists like Thursdays in Suburbia where its hushed tones add to the darker aesthetic of the song and move to the motion of the instrumentals. It’s vastly different than her first EP, and heaven forbid I must suffer through another song like “Summer in a Dream.”

I speak harshly, but while I may find it hard to admit, I look forward to hearing MAWD’s new releases. Her past two singles has been at the front of my mind, and I find myself consistently coming back to listen again. “Demons” less than “Wandering Eye,” but nonetheless more than many of the artists I review. With the state of the world right now, who knows when (or if) we’ll see the next EP/album, but if it’s changed as much as she has from her self-titled, I’m all up for it.

Rating: 4/5