Words By: Garrett Kearns

Today we welcome the debut album from independent artist M.A.G.S.. Say Things That Matter, is a fourteen-track cycle that tackles loneliness, heartbreak, joy, and fleeting romance. Capturing the feeling of meeting a stranger at a party and learning their life story throughout one night, M.A.G.S. has his roots firmly planted in alternative and pop but stretches into the stratospheric realm of psychedelic rock with Say Things That Matter.

The album opens with “intro” — a low-fi loop with guitars and drums. The hypnotic repetition of the brief melody preparing us for the album properly. This brief introduction leads directly into “Smile,” one of M.A.G.S.’s previously released singles that graced our airwaves earlier this year. Kicking off with a soft vocal, it quickly ramps up into a funky fusion of rock and pop. “Wait” begins with a chaotic backwards riff with horns and jumps into a punk beat with a contrasting pop melody reminiscent of Phoenix, sprinkled on top with a dose of grungy distortion. “Choked Out” houses the ominous sound of a creaking door opening over a thudding beat before shifting into the indie rock territory. The chorus changes things up again with a layered melody played by the keyboards and guitar. The verses are simpler with mostly vocals and drums with the guitars playing one chord at the end of each line. We hear the noise of a party as the music quickly becomes background noise blasting from someone’s stereo. “Golden” begins with a droning effect that pans from right to left. Then M.A.G.S. kicks into the song with all the instruments at his disposal. “Golden” is slower paced than the songs before it. It’s a nice breather from the harder rocking tracks.

“Interlude” is the welcoming subdued instrumental track that features the sounds of seagulls and lapping waves — setting the tone for “Beachlove.” There are no drums, which emphasizes the starkness of the track. M.A.G.S. vocal is the primary focus of the song as he illustrates an image of two people walking alone together on an empty shoreline. “Beg” is another single from the album that swings between heavy rock and indie. This track encapsulates Say Things That Matter. M.A.G.S. balances his inner rocker and singer songwriter. “Metaphors” is another intro or interlude. It’s a low-fi loop that’s catchy and hypnotic. “Bike” finds M.A.G.S. singing about another relatable subject, being too wrapped up in our own thoughts. He wants to disconnect from the rest of the world and in his own words, “Ride my bike forever/Clear my week/Get really high.”

“Staircase” takes us down to M.A.G.S.’ childhood. The dream-like atmosphere invokes hazy memories from the artist. “Nostalgia” is an on-the-nose title for a disarmingly simple acoustic song. It sounds like we’re in M.A.G.S.’ bedroom listening to a home demo. The track adds intimacy to the album. “Forever” steers us back into rock territory. The song starts slow but builds to an epic conclusion. “Sunrise” is the come down of the album. It captures the moment when after a long night of dancing and talking everyone goes their separate ways. Say Things That Matter has equal moments of melancholy, homesickness, introspection, and joy. It’s an album that’s fit for beach playlists but draws us in with honesty and solid song-craft.

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