Mackenzie Nicole takes the reins with both her music and her life as she drops her sophomore album Mystic.
Mystic is an ode to survival as she penned every word and hauntingly sings about pain, darkness, confusion and ultimately finding a way to survive. She pours out her soul and makes you feel it as you listen to the 12 tracks on Mystic. I have heard people say that great art comes from great pain, and in this case, it appears to be true.
This indie-pop release is dark and moody but also filled with the power of hope. Backed by some synth, moody beats and nice riffs her sultry vocals shine. At times the vibe is calming, and other times filled with a sense of urgency as you follow the story and hope the ending doesn’t break your heart.
Mystic is a concept album exploring the stages of mental health. “The first chapter is the dark chapter. It’s “The Rabbit Hole”. The second is a transitional chapter “Purgatory”. The final chapter is “Oxygen”. It’s about how recovery is a process.” She explained in her bio. And you hear it as you listen to the songs, by the way, this album is meant to be listened to from start to finish in track order, it begins in the darkest places but as she sings, song by song, things journey to a better place, maybe not perfect but emotionally better and you hear it musically as well as in her words. Throughout the album she sings about her experiences and ultimately surviving an inner torment that seems to have haunted her most of her life.
20-years-old Mackenzie Nicole delivers Mystic with great and sometimes brutal honesty as she shares her journey of mental illness, sadness, strength, and recovery. It’s a story she tells with feeling, it’s candid, real, and as much as the theme at times is incredibly dark, you still find yourself singing the songs even after you finish listening.
Check out Mystic if you’re looking for something deep and vulnerable that still has a sexy indie-chill-pop feel.
I’m Music Magazine Contributing Writer Jacy (Runnin’ the streets of Vegas) Ray
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