Maddy Storm is a Manchester-based electronic pop artist who first hit my radar back in March through her soul-bearing track Mattress. It features on her debut EP, alongside five other tracks of unique pop. The EP is called Forced Extrovert and here’s my track by track rundown.
By Graeme Smith
Feature photo by Hayley Rawlings
Forced Extrovert opens with its title track, an atmospheric, experimental vignette that features distorted vocals, reversed notes and a ton of scene-setting. Through it, you are welcomed into Maddy’s eccentric and haunting world.
It eases gently into the aforementioned Mattress, sounding even better here among its sisters. The visceral immediacy of it remains breath-taking. The bass still hits hard and its maximal electronic arrangement still feels incomparable.
Spit Me Out comes next. Cleverly, it’s a return to Forced Extrovert, except this time the notes are played in the right direction. There’s still some experimentation but it feels more comfortably in the pop genre than the first two tracks. There’s an undercurrent of RnB too, and plenty of relatability in the lyrics. It’s a highlight.
Backhanded ventures into the world of hyperpop, a genre growing in popularity and rich with examples of artists forcing a new definition of what pop is. You can count Backhanded among them. The beats are big and the emotion of the lyrics are hyped up. Fans of Ashnikko will love it.
Last Resort is a wonderfully glitchy piece of electronica, chock full of video-game references and sound effects. There’s nothing virtual about its subject though. It speaks of ridding yourself of toxicity in the most self-affirming way possible. It’s another highlight.
The EP closes with Natural Disaster. It’s a dreamy final chapter, delivered through a slow waltz rhythm, acoustic elements and soaring electronic overtones. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on Maddy’s sound, she produces something like this and surprises you.
Maddy intends this EP to be a self-portrait and I, for one, feel like I’ve learned a lot about her and her world through this collection. I’m definitely looking forward to what comes next from her. No doubt there are more surprises on the way!
You can listen to the whole of Forced Extrovert below.
