A few months back, Montreal-born musician Magi Merlin released the soothing track “So Smart,” giving listeners an early peek at her forthcoming album POWER HOUSE, which finally dropped last Friday. The LP may have slipped under the radar amid bigger releases, yet it deserves your attention—especially if you’re in the mood for glossy, chrome-finished grooves to soundtrack a lazy Sunday.
Over the course of twelve tracks, the singer, songwriter, and producer melds soulful melodies, steampunk-tinged R&B, and hazy trip-hop, with assistance from collaborator and co-writer Funkywhat. Merlin’s silver-toned voice glides above production that bubbles and erupts—fluid yet explosive—binding raw longing with futuristic textures.
On the sultry standout “Crawl,” she croons about how vice keeps creeping into her focus. The following cut, “Pixxxie,” intensifies that desire into a more intoxicating and conflicted realm, teasefully balancing attraction and hesitation: lines that hover between reverence and revolt. Another highlight, “Salt,” unfolds as a fractured vocal collage that feels almost organic—a new life form taking tentative steps. Throughout POWER HOUSE, the album maintains a gripping tension between the unexpected, the instantly memorable, and the emotional depths simmering beneath the surface.
Merlin recently shared a message on Instagram:
POWER HOUSE is a record I hope you listen to and finish feeling like you are the strongest person because you are, and we all are. No matter how silly and frustrating we can be, I believe that contradiction does not equal moral failing; it is simply part of being human. If we can exist here together knowing we can be the worst people on earth doing the most awful things, we can also be the best, creating a safe space for ALL of us. I want you to listen to the music and feel every ounce of energy you have (which is unlimited, by the way) and remember you don’t have to take crap just because… you can do literally whatever the fuck YOU WANT. SO DO IT.
Listen to the album below.
