Meg Myers Delivers Outstanding Sophomore Attempt

Meg Myers

When I see young new artists emerge, I am always curious to see what they will do next.  If you have followed my blog over the years, then you will know that I have raved about Meg Myers from the beginning, for the better part of half a decade.  I reviewed her first EPs and her first album.  These were all phenomenal releases.  The thing that set her apart from other young pop singer/ songwriters was the sheer raw passion she threw into her music, drawing comparisons to Alanis Morissette and Sinead O'Connor.  I was curious to see how she would follow up her previous efforts.  Would she maintain her artistic integrity?  Or would she veer off into glitzy commercialism?

With her sophomore album, "Take Me To The Disco", released this summer, it turns out that we didn't have to worry.  This album is not only just as good as her earlier music, it's better.

The best anectdote to illustrate the aura of this album is to realize that, in the interim between releases, Myers left her major label, Atlantic Records, for an indie label.  Why?  Because Atlantic was putting undo pressure on her to produce radio-friendly "hits".  This pressure froze her creatively to the point that she was no longer able to write songs.  So, she left the label, in what I would call a smart move, and was able to write music on her own terms.  The first single was "Numb", and on it she sings:

"I hate the feeling of this weight upon my shoulders

Pushing the pressure down on me

If you force it, it won't come

I guess I'm feeling numb"

This song is a direct response to Atlantic's efforts to extract creativity from her, much in the same vein as Sara Bareilles's "Love Song".  ("I'm not going to write you a love song 'cause you asked for it.")

Some critics have said that this new album is less Alanis Morissette and more Kate Bush, and I would agree with that assessment.  This album is darker, grittier, and more atmospheric than her previous arrangements.  And not just in terms of mood and ambiance, but musically.  There are dreamy layers and orchestral interludes and piano.  It's not that this album is no less angry, but more otherwordly, more meditative and reflective.  Myers's secret weapon has always been her vocal abilities.  Especially if you have seen live footage of her concerts, you will know that Myers throws her whole self into the deliverance of her vocals.  It's not just singing; it's performance.  Her whole body goes into expressing the lyrics, and it is totally unfeigned.  You can see that she feels these songs with every delivery.  And it shows on the album.

The album starts out with the title track, "Take Me To the Disco", with a piano intro reminiscent of Gary Jules's interpretation of "Mad World", but then ascends gently to a symphonic arrangement.  The third track is one of my favorites - "Tourniquet".  Myers emotes stark lyrics with clarity set to music that is at once somber and glistening.  "Tear Me to Pieces" starts out as a guitar ballad and explodes into a caustic refutal of jilted love.  Another favorite, "Jealous Sea", with its play on nautical terms, is a perfect example of Myer's sound.  "The Death of Me" is a duet with a mysterious male singer.  "I'm Not Sorry" seems to be a rebuttal to her 2015 single, "Sorry".  And "Little Black Death" is one of my favorites with its Nine Inch Nails' inspired lashing electronic beat.

Really, the whole album is good, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to familiarize themselves with her work.  Meg Myers has proven that she is an artist who is willing to stretch her abilities to define herself as a songwriter and a musician.  A case in point is how she taught herself to play the bass for recent shows.  She is willing to stretch herself beyond her limits.  If only half of the pop artists out there cared as much about their craft.

Below are a couple of music videos, including "Jealous Sea", which was just released.