American singer-songwriter Maggie Lindemann specialises in skillfully riding the fine line between pop and rock, bringing the best of both worlds into an engaging, entertaining and highly marketable mix of music and performance. Having released a string of singles since her breakthrough effort Knocking On Your Heart in 2015, including the UK top ten hit Pretty Girl in 2016, Lindemann is now back with her first-ever EP, titled Paranoia.

At eight tracks in length, Paranoia is as much a mini-album as it is an EP, but it does include four previously released singles (Knife Under My Pillow, GASLIGHT!, Scissorhands, and Loner), so we’re only treated to four entirely new songs here. That said, all the singles still stack up, particularly the pop-punk feel of Knife Under My Pillow, which opens the EP, and the edge of GASLIGHT!, which is Paranoia’s darkest track, with guest star Siiickbrain’s guest vocals still feeling oddly unsettling.

Crash And Burn is the first new track on the EP, and it instantly also lays claim to be the best. A high-octane, riff-powered monster with a seismic chorus that sees Lindemann shake off a dying relationship. Love Songs is another welcome newcomer to the Lindemann catalogue, and it’s one that shows her expansive songwriting skills, as she swaps the rock and swagger for an acoustic guitar and beautifully soft vocal to superb effect. Different lands somewhere between Crash And Burn and Love Songs, mixing low key verses with a big chorus, and it works extremely well.

Writing on her official Facebook page, Lindemann expressed her joy at Paranoia’s release. “MY 1ST EVER EP “PARANOIA” IS OUT NOW!!!” she wrote. “I can’t even put into words all the emotions I’m feeling rn. Thank you so much for being patient with me. Thank you to everyone that worked on this with me. I love you guys and appreciate you guys more than LIFE ITSELF!!”

Paranoia tracklist:

1. Knife Under My Pillow

2. GASLIGHT!

3. Scissorhands

4. Crash And Burn

5. Loner

6. Love Songs

7. Different

8. It’s Not Your Fault Watch Crash And Burn (Live in Los Angeles) here.

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.