EP Review: Mallrat ‘Uninvited’
At only 17 years old, Brisbane emcee Mallrat has already unleashed her pretty damn cool debut EP ‘Uninvited’. Packed with chilled vibes, hot rhymes, and smart production, this is one party your ears don’t want to miss!
Opening track Tokyo Drift sounds just like your average party anthem – modern, understated, and catchy as anything, but there’s nothing average about Mallrat’s sharp lyrical insight. Her edgy production and modest vocals highlight the lyrics, a searing insight into the seemingly insignificant thrills and dramas of young love – “I’ve been meaning to text you for seven or eight days, get back from your vacay, meet me at HJs/We had, like, a million great days, at least, and that’s only since grade eight”.
Tokyo Drift sounds just like your average party anthem – modern, understated, and catchy as anything, but there’s nothing average about Mallrat’s sharp lyrical insight.
Continuing what Tokyo Drift started, Mallrat threads the same classic ingredients through Inside Voices. Mallrat’s painfully real lyrics echo the musings of introverts around the world: “Everyone talks nicely, but I don’t think they like me, ‘cause when they go out they never invite me/Maybe I’m too quiet, should I try and fight it? I just need someone to sit beside in silence”. Featuring elements of boho spliced with club dance music, Inside Voices is made for fans of PACES, Flume, and Lily Allen.
In a similar vein, Uninvited is a claustrophobic, anti-social party anthem with edgy, intriguingly low-key vocals to match. Featuring a hypnotic dance melody with gentle touches of production, it’s like a soundtrack to a great night out, spawning a deliciously ironic clash against the lyrics – “Now I’m feeling like a loner like I rarely ever do/I’m lying to myself and they’re lying to me too/I wish that you were here so I could be alone with you/’Cause my life is extra empty when my glass is empty too”.
Beginning with playful pitch-sliding synthesisers, Sunglasses follows up with sparse beats and novelty effects. Mallrat offsets a sugary base with monotone vocals, the best possible vehicle for her searing social commentary. The song is a telling lyrical condemnation of humanity’s tendency to follow imaginary rules and pretend to be anything other than ourselves –“Learn the script to play the part/Take the things they say to heart/…/Plastic, plastic, everything’s a tactic/Everyone around here wears the same sunglasses”.
Following the winning combination of heavy beats, sparse production, and effortless lyrical spin that is Sunglasses, Suicide Blonde also reflects Tigerilla’s collaborative influence. The track takes laid-back boho vibes like M.I.A.’s Paper Planes and works in another set of slick lyrics in the pre-chorus –“Sometimes you drink and then you dance around the kitchen/You put on 80s music and make me listen for like/Hours straight, no escape, diva’s really not that great/I hate when you forget my name”. The harmonies dull the harsh lyrical edge in the last minute, leaving you feeling satisfied and ultimately happy that the song wasn’t written about you.
Crunchy piano chords form a solid base in For Real, supporting Mallrat’s smooth, unapologetic lyrical flow. Lines like “I didn’t even wanna die once this week” and “Late to the party/I hope we offend somebody” rub up against the track’s upbeat melody, creating that blissful misalignment that sets her apart from the pack.
Mallrat’s debut EP ‘Uninvited’ is out now – check out her leading single Inside Voices below!
