Columbia Records
Almost two years after his launch to fame with the release of his single “Roommates,” Malcolm Todd dropped his first studio album on April 4. Having opened for Omar Apollo and performed in festivals like Governor’s Ball and Lollapalooza, Todd has practiced his stage presence despite starting his music career during the pandemic and will be going on tour starting May. With the singles going viral, the small taste of the album set up a good precedent for the rest of the songs.
The 21-year-old L.A. native’s self-titled album, “Malcolm Todd,” is an honest, carefully curated 14-track masterpiece. Showcasing this vulnerability, self-awareness and intentionality, Todd opens with “Harry Styles,” a soft, shimmering guitar ballad where he talks about the pressures of being a rising star: “You’re our favorite fool / You’ll never make a profit / If you’re just trying to be cool.” Slowly building momentum, Todd continues to layer vocals against the lush backdrop before being consumed by an electric guitar and violin transitioning to the first full-length song of the album.
The violin makes multiple appearances on the album, most noticeably in the song “Doll” and the interlude “Good Job Malcolm,” which he teased on Instagram a couple days before the album was released. “Good Job Malcolm” splits the album in half with an uplifting minute-long symphony of violins and a synth-y guitar that adds a grunge feeling to the last third of the song. At the beginning we hear a female softly congratulating Malcolm before the voice fades out as Malcolm reassures her, capturing that warm homey feeling that makes the short anthem so captivating.
Meanwhile, “Doll” is a glossy, smooth melody driven by slow drums as Todd sings about feeling used in a relationship. The song is framed by violins and trumpets towards the end before using another spoken snippet, a resource that is repeated throughout “Malcolm Todd.” The song has a majestic instrumental that gives depth to Todd’s lyrics as he yearns over a partner.
The singles off the album, “Chest Pain (I Love)” and “Bleed (feat. Omar Apollo),” were released months before the album gained popularity on social media, and are now the most listened songs on Todd’s Spotify. “Chest Pain (I Love),” has a catchy chorus and a touching bridge in a perfect mix that climaxes with a scratchy guitar leaving a bittersweet taste. “Bleed,” is a delightful collaboration between Apollo and Todd where neither of them overshadows the other. This allows listeners to be embraced by their contrasting but complementing vocals.
“Walk to Class” opens up with a wonderful guitar solo showing us Todd’s more romantic and playful side as he attempts to pursue a new relationship. The production for this track does a great job at mixing vocal samples, adding an extra touch to the mellow tune of guitar, drums and a crystalline instrumental that powers through to the end.
Keeping this synth-focused sound alive, the next song “Florence,” is a love declaration that touches on the hardships of long-distance relationships. Todd sings, “I loved you before I could even say it / And I’ll miss you before you walk away” and even has a hint of Harry Styles’ sound if it was more grunge-rock than pop.
The track order has a certain coherent thread of sound, despite not having a narrative structure and mixing a variety of genres. From the second song, Todd sets a high standard for himself with “Make Me a Better Man.” A soul-bluesy piano and guitar combo with lead-in drummer and producer Charlie Ziman, setting up a sort of conversation between instruments and highlighting his percussion skills. The song progressively gets more tense and loses some of its jazzy initial sound for a more grim piano in the second verse and raspy vocals. In the bridge the tempo slows down, giving Ziman a short break before going full force with an amazing drumming riff, culminating in a euphoric rush.
“Concrete” brings back the spoken word snippets, evoking this reluctance to cry that Todd touches on in “Make Me a Better Man,” as we hear a woman calling Todd pathetic for being upset. The bass carries the punk beat, setting up the second verse nicely, emphasized by its absence as Todd sings “I’ll try, I’ll-, I’ll try harder than your heart beats / Harder than your head, baby, harder than the concrete.” The track transitions into an extraterrestrial synth that continues the catchy tune, perfect for head bobbing and feet tapping.
“Cheer Me On,” the last single released only a week before the album, maintains Todd’s old indie sound the most with a high pitched guitar and a soothing serene start that slowly builds into an overwhelming musical composition following a similar formula to some of his past hits.
Toward the end of the album, Todd and his sister Audrey Hobert collaborate on the minute-long acoustic “I Do.” Its home-memorabilia quality makes an excellent transition into “I’ll Come Back for You,” the tastefully titled closing track. With opening whistles, the soft, poetic verse soothes listeners into the chorus that amps up the stakes. Throughout the album, Todd shows he has mastered the skill of surprise and suspense. Angelic violins symphonize, setting up the second chorus where Ziman’s drums make a comeback. The song wraps up with a set of voicemails to finalize what feels like the closing track of a movie.
Todd’s first studio album functions as a harbinger of stardom yet makes it clear that he won’t conform to mainstream music. Instead, he uses his own experimental production to expand upon genres, bringing back art-house to Spotify’s top 50 in the United States.