Exploring openly sexual and uncomfortable themes in the early stages of her Millennial life, like the anxiety and ridicule of the search for fame, in her new album Madeline tells her adventures living in Los Angeles, facing its inauthenticity, the music industry, and different types of relationships.
Guided and inspired by a profound idea of self-discovery and by the struggle to preserve important principles such as individual authenticity and honesty, ‘Raised on Porn’ sounds like an articulated and immersive musical journey. Dense with meaning and substance, through her inner and personal investigation Madeline leads us to touch uncomfortable aspects and emotional reactions, such as shame, compulsions, and depression, encouraging us to find a sense of humor to help us face the gloom of the world in which we live .
A production of excellent quality, with a mature, organic, dense and structured sound, the album opens with ‘Little Planet’, a sort of acoustic ballad that vibrates intimately on the strings of a passionate cello to then morph into an uplifting and engaging pop rock number . The seemingly-neverending, growing dynamics fades into a rarefied outro, like raindrops diluting away an image.
With the second track Madeline concots more Latin rhythms. Mellifluous and sensual, ‘Numb’ is a new surprise, graced by “Hendrixian” guitar solos interconnected with ethereal choruses, emphasizing the lyrics that speak of feeling son numb you can’t and won’t worry about anything that happens around you.
The main theme of the album finds its climax, as it is easy to expect, right in the next song, the title track. It has a relaxed musical aesthetic, that in some ways almost sounds Caribbean and juxtaposes well to Madeline’s lyrics, in which she sings about how the act of masturbating isn’t a merely carnal moment, but also engages the mind ant the whole psychology of a person.
And if Madeline still hadn’t yet managed to surprise us enough, with ‘Talking To Myself’ she really left us stunned. It had not happened for months, but with this song Madeline managed to excite us and move us with her extraordinarily, vast vocal range, inserted in an electrifying composition that so beautifully conveys the lyrics’ message about pursuing your dreams.
Returning to a more introspective sphere, the almost whispered ‘Blew’ is enriched by Dante Jukhel’s flow rap. The two artists create a story about sharing feelings and thoughts, not just a physical connection.
A touch of delicacy, musically set in an atmosphere with pastel pink hues, with Madeline talking about how sometimes human beings are inclined to let others exploit them, without even realizing it.
The gem that exquisitely closes this formidable album is the tender ‘Late’, a questioning revelation about being late in the face of the inexplicable passage of time and that feeling of regret that accompanies the words “I should have”.
Evocative, varied and masterfully produced, Madeline Rosene’s ‘Raised on Porn’ is one of the albums that excited us most lately.
Listen to Madeline Rosene’s ‘Raised on Porn’ now, visit her website, and look for Madeline on her social networks to find out more about this talented artist and her music.