There was a sense running through Maggie Rogers' first two records that perhaps she had not yet found her voice, figuratively speaking. Literally, it's always been there. One of the few constants between both 2019's Hard It in a Past Life and 2022's Surrender was her vocals, gorgeous as ever. It's sweet without being sweet, luxuriously rich, yet light enough to carry the crisp indie-pop that is at the core of her songwriting. But musically, perhaps she tried on too many different hats on her debut and stuck too resolutely to an indie-folk setting on her second, so behind “Don't Forget Me” This is why a certain process clearly bodes well, with little room left for overthinking, recorded as is over five days, and consisting mostly of first-take recordings.
That's because these songs are lighthearted, infusing classic pop structures like “Drunk” and “The Kill” with a witty sense of urgency, making them sunny gems made for summer road trips. This means that they offer a number of particularly outstanding songs. I'm tired of dreaming. Breaking them up are a few well-crafted ballads. “I Still Do” and “All the Same” are longing without being overly fussy, and the title track brings the curtain down nicely. Most importantly, there is a wonderful looseness throughout the work, which extends to a laid-back and often witty lyricism. “Don't Forget Me” is the sound of an artist finally starting to feel comfortable in his own skin, and having a lot of fun in the process.