the good witch, maisie peters' sophomore album, was released this year on june 23, with the six deluxe tracks being released on october 27. in my opinion, it is the best album that i have listened to this year and possibly my favourite album ever (bearing in mind that i'm mainly a pop girlie so thats what i like and prefer to listen to).
maisie's storytelling in her songs in funny and intelligent, with a deep emotional maturity that is needed for such an album. the good witch is primarily a breakup album, with songs like 'wendy' and 'the band and i' being the few exceptions to the overall theme of the album.
this rant is... going to be a bit all over the place but in its essence, its an attempt to persuade you guys to check out the album and also an opportunity for me to ramble on about the songs and they're meaning.
THE SONGS AND THEIR MEANINGS
The Good Witch - This song is what I consider the perfect opening track. Maisie is great at this, as she did a similar thing with her first album, You Signed Up For This (YSUFT). The song sets up the album, telling her fans that she's created "a universe that you can live in", even calling back to her debut album and its opening track. In YSUFT's 'I'm Trying (Not Friends)' Maisie talks about being 'bitter and twisted" and The Good Witch calls back to that by saying that she's "still bitter". I also like the line "still argue like my mother and suppress stuff like my dad" because thats exactly what my parents do. This song was written with the intention of being an opening track and it does the job perfectly.
Coming of Age - This song is sort of a shock after 'The Good Witch', which is slow to kick in. 'Coming of Age' starts strong immediately, preparing the listener for other songs further down the album that have a similar start. It feels as if we're being thrust into the album with this song and it begins to talk about Maisie's break up and her realising her self-worth through all the heartbreak. The stand out lines for me are "i am the Iliad, of course you couldn't read me" and "i couldn't erase you like a tattoo on my waistline" because it makes me think of swiftgron (a gaylor theory) in which Dianna Agron got her alice in wonderland tattoo which was on her waist removed after Taylor Swift released the song 'Wonderland'. I'm doubtful that Maisie is a gaylor though.
Watch - This is such a classic Maisie Peters song. Its hurt and a bit scathing but with reason. It talks of that well-known feeling after a breakup of being the one who hasn't moved on, feeling like you're being left behind and all you can do is watch. The line "a girl who's a remix of me" is SUCH a good line, I am in constant envy of Maisie's songwriting. This was one of my immediate favourites of the album. I also love Maisie's casual pop culture references, like "it looked like a film michael cera would act in".
Body Better - One of the singles from the album, this song is not one of my favourites. I still appreciate it, especially the more acoustic versions, and the lyrics still have that classic Maisie spirit but I think its the relate-ability of it to me? I've never been intimate in relationships so I cannot relate to the song in the same way that others can. Having mainly online relationships means that personality is more important than looks so I'd be more self conscious of my personality after a breakup.
Want You Back - There are SO many good lines in this song. "I read it like a bible and I wore it like a bullet proof vest." "Found yourself a lover, I bet she doesn't sing. But baby, when you touch her, I bet she doesn't flinch." This song begins to touch on Maisie's own vulnerabilities within relationships, conceding that the person she's singing about is not the only one at fault, that her trust issues could have played a role in the deterioration of the break up. The song is mainly about the pain of losing her lover though, and wanting them back even with the knowledge that the relationship wasn't good for her.
The Band And I - This is a love letter to Maisie's band, and its so lovely. Maisie's really sweet in the way that she interacts with her band on stage or in her tiktok videos. She's created a fanbase for her keyboardist, Tina, called the Tinabots (I'm a proud Tinabot), she features her drummer, Jack, heavily in her tiktok videos. So her fans already feel they know her band and its nice to hear her talk about them and going on tour in this song. Its feel-good and it provides a break from the breakup themes of the album.
You're Just A Boy (And I'm Kinda The Man) - I LOVE this song. Its boppy, its scathing, its just great. "I take in clowns like a one-woman circus" is SUCH a great line. It's extremely relatable because who hasn't encountered a boy who doesn't see how lucky he is to be dating such an amazing woman. Like imagine rejecting Maisie Peters, who went on tour with Ed Sheeran, who sang Stick Season with Noah Kahan, whose Taylor Swift cover got complimented by Taylor herself. And then the songs that she wrote about you make her album go number one.
Lost The Breakup - Someone once said that Maisie Peters has the Taylor Swift curse of choosing singles that don't best reflect the album and I can't help but agree. I do like 'Lost The Breakup' better than 'Body Better' but in hearing the other songs on the album, the singles clearly are not the best representation of the theme and vibe of the album. I do quite like the bridge of this song though and I wouldn't skip it if it was playing. Even Maisie's weakest songs are still good.
Wendy - Maisie claims this song is purely based on Wendy from Peter Pan and attempts to tell her story, but I also think it has an element of relevance to Maisie's own life. From "found yourself a lover, i bet she doesn't flinch" in 'Want You Back' to 'I'll still flinch at the sound of a door' in 'Wendy', it is clear that Maisie suffers from a fear of being vulnerable and also a fear of being left behind. 'Wendy' is a song idea that I wish I had thought of, its so creative to retell a story that most people know from the perspective of someone who is not appreciated enough within the story.
Run - The final single from the album. Again, not one of my favourites, but it is very fun. Its sort of lighthearted, while still imparting the important message of leaving when you see too many red flags. And its very boppy, which is important in pop music and contributes to the enjoyment of the song.
Two Weeks Ago - Another single. Its quite a sad song. This song doesn't place blame like many breakup songs and instead portrays a situation where the couple is forced to part but neither of them really want to. Because the song is sad and slow I don't listen to it very often because when i'm in a good mood, i'm not usually in the mood for sad songs. But i do appreciate it and will probably use it if I'm ever in a similar situation and need a cry.
BSC - I LOVE this song. Like 'Coming of Age' its starts strong immediately. This song is witty and unhinged and surprising. You go into the song not knowing what BSC stands for so its so exhilarating when its revealed in the chorus. Again, there are pop culture references like "call Graham Norton" and "I am both Kathy Bates and Stephen King" that add to the song and don't feel forced in any way. I think this might be my favourite from the album.
Therapy - Again, not Maisie's best work but still good. Boppy in a chill way if that makes any sense. Since I don't know what else to say, I'd just like to reiterate how amazing I think Maisie's songwriting is. It seems almost effortless how she throws these perfect lyrics together and she knows when things need to be deep and when its okay to rhyme "front door" with "front door".
There It Goes - This song was very nearly the closing track of the album and you can definitely feel that things are closing up. This song focuses on healing and finding yourself again after a break up. I love that the first verse says "they're selling sunflowers cheap" and in the bridge "sunflowers in the kitchen", telling the listener that she bought the sunflowers for herself and that they're a sign of healing. This is another one of my absolute favourites, its such a positive break up song, about moving on from a love that had to be let go of.
History of Man - My god, this song. Its so powerful. In this song, Maisie sort of applies her situation to history, saying that heartbreak and misunderstanding will forever repeat itself. I love the references, such as "Samson blamed Delilah but given half the chance, I would have made him weaker too" and "the men start wars yet Troy hates Helen". You can kind of feel the collective pain in the song, showing that Maisie and anyone else experiencing such emotions are not alone. I'd like to also note Gretta Ray's backing vocals in the song, and say how much I love her.
THE DELUXE TRACKS
I don't have the energy to talk about each song individually but there are 6 tracks added to the deluxe album; 'Holy Revival', 'Yoko', 'The Song', 'Guy On A Horse', 'Truth Is' and 'The Last One'. I can see why they weren't added to the original album, not because they aren't good (in fact I like them more than some of the songs on the original album) but because they don't follow Maisie's usual writing conventions. They're more messy, is the only word I can think of to explain it. More run on sentences, instead of trying to condense the idea into perfectly curated lyrics. Take the verses of 'Holy Revival', for instance. The songs divulge from Maisie's usual songwriting style but I think its good, that she allowed herself to be more imperfect, and the songs are better for it. 'Yoko' is also similar to 'Wendy' in the fact that it focuses on someone often under appreciated, or in Yoko's case, blamed. All in all, I love the deluxe tracks. My favourites would be 'Holy Revival', 'Yoko' and 'Guy On A Horse'.
OVERALL
I just LOVE this album. Not just the songs too, but the era of this album. The tarot cards that Maisie posted in the lead up, the tour (which I'm going to next year) and even the fact that I released my EP right before this album released so I was still running on the high from that. This album means so much to me and so many annoying teenage girls and Maisie is so underrated. Go give it a listen if you haven't already!
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