“How Does It Feel” by MS MR

MS MR
How Does It Feel
[Columbia]

Sophomore albums are a bitch. All artists face the eternal questions: Do we experiment with our art? Do we stay the course for more of the same fan favorites? Little bit of both? MS MR (aka Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow) chose door number three for How Does It Feel, to mixed results.

The shiny electric red 80’s outfit Plapinger is sporting on the album cover is the tip-off that more 80’s vibes are headed our way. Driving synth beats somewhat overshadow Plapinger’s amazing vocals, reducing the intensity of emotion delivered. Which is a shame, considering the honest emotion that was so clearly and cleverly delivered in their excellent debut.

“Wrong Victory” is the standout track on this album. The lyrics show genuine emotion and the synth emphasizes that emotion, rather than drowning it. First single “Painted” deals with loss of self as well, but this time with anger looped through the beats and swells. The closing track “All The Things Lost” shows us glimpses of vulnerability, with piano punctuating the emotional quest to find answers. It also shows us a glimpse into what experiments might be next up for MS MR. Here at The Nest, we are interested enough to see what comes next.