Mauwe – Ain’t It Magical | invitingly pulsating and murky

Bristolian unsigned duo, Mauwe, comprising of vocalist, Portia Conn, and multi-instrumentalist producer, Jay Rodger (piano, guitar and vocals) return May 15th with their latest single, ‘Ain’t It Magical’.

Mauwe formed two years ago after a chance encounter and since solidified their friendship through writing and producing music. This culminated in their debut EP, ‘The Art Of Letting Go’, in April 2018.

‘The Art Of Letting Go’ received highly positive appraisal from media outlets, receiving attention from Spotify – being featured on their New Music Friday playlist – alongside support from talent hunters, BBC Introducing.

Mauwe – compared to the likes of The XX – have been known for infusing elements from their eclectic R&B, Electronic and Pop influences. This is no more apparent than on ‘Ain’t It Magical’, a slightly more gritty side to Mauwe that listeners may not yet be familiar with.

Approaching the subject matter of their latest single, Mauwe explained that:

Ain’t it magical is a song (we wrote) based on that feeling that can often creep up at a party… when you aren’t connecting with the people around you, or even that you’re not remotely on the same wavelength.

Listen to Ain't It Magical by Mauwe below or follow this link to listen on Spotify.

From the offset, Conn wastes no time setting the scene. Simultaneously, presenting a cool and smooth vocal delivery, Conn, ponders “Baby, it’s not my crowd”. A slow-build introduction throughout the first verse means that when the song reaches the chorus, it is not a moment too late. Vividly mirroring the song's theme; the timing, pace, and lyricism are neatly packaged to perfectly invoke the all too familiar sense of alarm that creeps in these exposing moments.

In the streaming age, where listeners want to be rewarded with instant gratification, the infectious urgency is never lost with a momentum that builds throughout, keeping listeners on their toes. ‘Ain’t It Magical’ is expertly paced – like a wave hitting a beach only for it to then recede before it once again returns – listeners will be mesmerised by the repetition of verse/chorus/verse. This is by no means a criticism as this only makes an even more compelling case for ‘Ain’t It Magical’ to be essential repeat listening.

Conn and Rodger have approached ‘Ain’t It Magical’ with a sense of self-awareness and familiarity. Credit must be given to Jay Rodger for its smooth and infectious production. Punctuated by its deliberate repetitive nature of the pulsating and murky beat during the choruses; it would not be out of place being played in a dimly lit underground club or party. By the song's end, listeners will have lost themselves – caught in a trance like a deer in headlights – within the hooks and be marching to the beat of their own drum.

‘Ain’t It Magical’, is out now and available to stream on all major streaming platforms or follow Mauwe on Twitter, Facebook, Spotify and YouTube.