When you think of Nashville, you think of country music. But, of course, the immense concentration of musical talent is also impacting most other musical genres. Natalie Madigan lives in Nashville, but produces electro-pop. On 31st January 2020, she released her first album What It’s Like To Be Known – quite an aggressive album title for an artist, who just has some 850 followers on Facebook. The more I was curious if her music is worth to be known in the business.
Natalie Madigan – About The Artist
I am a singer, songwriter and producer from the heart of Tennessee. I am a thinker, a lover, an empath, and a perfectionist. I am an ex musical theater kid, ex classical pianist, ex choir singer, present artist and student of the world. – This is how Natalie Madigan is introducing herself on her Facebook account. There is not too much bio available apart from that she comes from Nashville. I only ran into her as she is a non-country Nashville artist and found htat it might be a nice contrast on the website. The video below is some two years old:
What It’s Like To Be Known – Track By Track
The nine track album lasts 29 minutes:
1. Nostalgia’s Muse
The first track of a debut album is something like the business card of an artist to. You have a first some three minute impression and can adjust your expectations. The song is very electric, has some spherical sounds as if you would sample Enya through a series of synthesizers. On top of that, there is Natalie Madigans voice. The song ends very mystic with an atmospheric instrumental card. What does this business card tell me? I have no idea and need the second track!
2. Anyone
Anyone has a clearer concept to me: a lounge sound-alike bed of electric sounds mixed with Madigan’s voice, which is not that screamy in this track. Rhythmic instruments or sounds play a subordinate role.
3. I Did What I Did
In contrast to Anyone, I Did What I Did is much more rhythmic. The beat is the key element of the music background. This makes it a bit easier for me to follow this song. Like it!
4. Jaded
A very slow, very atmospheric track. The chorus definitely has radio quality, the remaining song is a bit too stiff and heavy to me.
5. Appetite
This 75 second track is some sort of choral interlude. Not bad, but I would not count it as a real track.
6. Clothes
Clothes was one of the few tracks Natalie Madigan had released before the album (at least one of the few I could really find). I absolutely like that track. An orchestral arrangement in the background and her voice on top of that – what a lovely – and sometimes close to fairy-alike song!
7. Remember Why You Fell in Love
Without feeling too repetitive, Remember Why You Fell in Love is very similarly arranged like the track before. I feel that this one is less special, but very nice to listen to. The song definitely has its own style, its own character. Less echo might make it less kitschy.
8. Then & Now
As this track is less heavy than Jaded and is overall closer to a radio hit, this likely my favorite song on the album.
9. What It’s Like To Be Known
Last, but not least, the title track. I feel this song would be amazing if Madigan would only use the piano, which you unfortunately just hear in the very background, which other sounds are put over it. Thus, the song is impressive, but does not really touch my soul.
What It’s Like To Be Known – Spotify
If you want to have a deeper dive into the music of Natalie Madigan, here is a deeper diver.
Natalie Madigan – What It’s Like To Be Known – My View
People need to do the kind of music whcih makes them happy. Natalie Madigan’s vision seems to be this unique mix of background sounds and her voice. Unfortuantely, I feel that she has much more potential than she is actually showing on this album. Let’s see how she will develop in the next years. This album is below average, but it’s got a lot of musical talent in it.
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