Freya Magee’s debut single, “Duplicity”, doesn’t try too hard because it doesn’t have to. It swoops in on those opening guitar strings and sweeps you off your feet right into her hushed universe, where emotions aren’t dramatic, but loud with their silence. It’s the kind of song you hear when you’re half-asleep, but fully alive. With a voice so gentle, yet resolute, Freya Magee croons about the stillness of indecision when two versions of you live in one body, with a truth that doesn’t need to be explained. It’s raw and simple, but ultimately, human.
What makes “Duplicity” such an effective and stunning debut is how personal and intimate it feels. The honesty that drips through those lyrics is something you can picture her writing in a quiet room with low light, and more thoughts than she could have possibly put to pen and paper. Her hair is “dark on the left, blonde on the right” and it’s not just clever lyricism. It’s shown on the cover, and it’s on her head. In a room with little light, she was torn in two different directions, and all of a sudden that phrase sticks with you. It’s a perfect depiction of the difficult choice, when you’ve spent so much time loving both sides that neither one is enough, and every side is home. It’s the rare song that doesn’t force you to feel anything but, ultimately, leaves you feeling seen.
Produced by Phil Taylor at Laurel Sound Studios, “Duplicity” doesn’t need anything more than it already has. It’s a delicate construction. Music that leaves room for lyrics to breathe, and a voice to be heard. Freya Magee doesn’t just sing to us, she tells us who she is. It’s an effective first impression because the song feels like it came from a small, quiet place. But the best part is, many of us have been in that small quiet place torn in two different directions, hoping that someone is listening, and that they can hear what we’re not saying out loud. If this is Freya Magee’s first single, the EP can’t come soon enough.
Follow Freya Magee on Spotify, Sound Cloud, Bandcamp, Songkick, X, Instagram and TikTok. Also Visit her Official Website
