So for the past couple weeks, I’ve been seeing the QR codes for an artist by the name of Witchy posted in the Arc, and maybe you have as well. Now I’m not sure if this is a reach towards a target audience, or if he actually goes to the school, but I figured I’d give it a listen anyway.
His newest release and first official album Everything I’ll Never Say, on Spotify and Apple Music, contains 9 songs embodying the comeback of Y2K punk pop. Each track features high energy instrumentals with emphasized, consistent vocals, broken with hints of what I’d like to call “blue rock.’’
Overall, the production is high quality and mixed well. Rough sounding grunge guitar is accompanied by sparkling plucks to balance it out. In some songs, catchy bass backbones set a foundation while the track is overlaid with a classic small garage band drum beat. In some tunes, such as “Six,” the core elements remain, but the band drums are switched out for pop trap beat sequences in a manner that still compliments everything tastefully. The tone of the play through itself begins mellow with “Pricetag” and “Broken,” easing us into what to expect. Songs 3-6 then kick off with an angsty rocker feel, delivering on the upbeat, fun-loving edge — which is both easy to get stuck in your head and easy to headbang along with. But towards the end, from the point of “Six” and on, progression takes place into grim tones and more eerie deep cuts. I personally think this was clever as Witchy takes you along with him and his story of heartbreak. These tracks all still follow a distinct grouping and likeness so that you may not completely notice the switch if you’re going through his discography at random. But collectively (in order) the variety is refreshing. His song “SPLIT” closes with an experimental take, adding a bass boost and a tired raspiness.
Witchy’s sound reminded me a lot of Machine Gun Kelly right off the bat. In his bio he mentions inspirations from influential rappers such as Juice WRLD and XXXTENTACION, as well as modern emo rock stars such as MGK and Lil Peep. This definitely rings true with the slight difference being that Witchy has a somewhat more eased tone of voice at times.
Out of all of Everything I’ll Never Say, “Without You” and “Back To It’’ were personal favorites, as they summed up the many colors of Witchy’s work. If you do choose to listen, or happen scan some QR codes around the Arc, I hope you find it as entertaining as I did, and maybe find something new to add to your playlists.
Comments