Inside The Glass Shattering World of Maggie Lindemann’s SUCKERPUNCH
Grit. Volume. Control. Edge.
Maggie Lindemann’s SUCKERPUNCH LP exhausts an energetic heat that has been overtly missing from the alternative-rock genre. After we joined an exclusive press conference with Lindemann herself only days before the release of her debut album, it was evident that this was going to be a project that will be a pivotal moment for her career.
This album needs to be listened to at full volume, there’s no argument here. Especially when you find yourself in the perfect state of mind to scream and finally let it all out. The already significant voice for women in the alternative-punk genre has made a return with her debut full-length project. While her 2021 EP PARANOIA gave us a glimpse into the punk world that Maggie Lindemann had been gearing up for since she stepped foot into the industry, we’ve finally gotten a 15-track project filled with Maggie’s vocals, production and authentic image that skyrocketed into something glass-shattering (in the best way possible).
1 - intro/welcome
The opening track is just that. It’s a slow burn that welcomes the listener into this punk world that Lindemann created. With ethereal and haunting piano melody, Lindemann’s voice enters to compliment the soft hues of the instrumentals. From understanding how Lindemann’s career has evolved, it is clear that this opening track is a goodbye to her older, more softer sound that appealed to masses. By the end of the track, we hear Lindemann’s authentic self show through sonically. I see this track as her closing the door on her old sound/style and opening a window for her true self to shine through. ‘Opening’ the window or punching a fist through the glass - either way, we’re about to hear Lindemann's artistic authenticity shatter through our ears for another 39 minutes and we can’t wait.
2 - take me nowhere
Her famous heavy guitar riffs from her PARANOIA era return beginning with “take me nowhere”. Lindemann’s honest and raw lyrics shine through instantly with the first few verses of this second track. She sings with emotion: “nobody’s real until they shatter / wait ‘til it’s dark and they start / sendin’ fake love and poisoned flowers'”. Lindemann begins her album with an honest call out to people who show her fake love only to leave her with nothing but pieces of what could be.
3 - she knows it
As the third track of SUCKERPUNCH was a pre-released single, “she knows it” became a well-loved song by Lindemann. The lyrics offer listeners a new narrative on Lindemann’s sexuality which we haven’t seen from her in previous releases. Lindemann creates an anthem where it’s almost a requirement to listen to on full volume - and I mean, on a level where your speakers are about to combust - trust me, it’s worth it.
4 - casualty of your dreams
A renaissance to the sounds formed by the likes of Sleeping With Sirens, Lindemann opens this track with a distinctive production style screaming to the punk bands from the early 2000s. Lindemann sings: “now it’s dust to dust, love into lust / there’s no need for apologies / cause honestly you’re dead to me”. Lindemann faces that moment when you’re in a relationship where the manipulation is breaking the last thread that the two are holding. Lindemann’s the authoritative figure in this track as she decides the fate of the relationship.
5 - self sabotage
Biased opinion, but this may be one of the best songs off of SUCKERPUNCH. Again, she reaches back to the storyline and angst from PARANOIA but with very clear evidence of growth and maturity. The amount of times we self-sabotage ourselves when it comes to relationships, friendships or life in general - Lindemann confronts this issue but by singing about breaking herself first so that she doesn’t get attached to the relationship. She sings with force: “I’m hard to love, this girl is a gun / killing them softly, one by one”. I could write for pages about just this song alone - there is an enormous amount of themes and symbolism to unpack within the edge of the lyrics. From sexuality to anxiety - digging yourself a hole, breaking yourself down to save yourself from heartache - we all do it, and Lindemann ignites this flame by confronting it face-to-face.
6 - phases
The song that every heartbreak needs in order to be healed. Lindemann approaches this song with a narrative where one only loves another when it’s on their terms and their agenda. Only wanting someone in ‘phases’ or sending them that late night text, she sings her heart out in order to break out from the ties of an on-again off-again situationship.
7 - i’m so lonely with you
When you’re with someone, you’re not supposed to feel like the love itself is disappearing before your eyes. And sometimes it does. Lindemann sings about loving the idea of someone as she sings: “i was looking for someone like you / but turns out happy endings just aren’t true”. Lindemann’s writing style becomes progressively raw and honest, even as she tells stories - it sounds as though these words have been on the edge of her mind for so long, and it’s finally her turn to tell her side of things.
8 - break me! Ft. Siickbrain
Previously released as a single prior to the album release, “break me!” involves Lindemann’s good friend and artist Siickbrain. This the duo’s second release together, as on the PARANOIA EP they welcomed their mind-altering vision with “GASLIGHT!” It’s safe to say that Lindemann and Siickbrain’s vocals balance each other extremely well, as presented through this track. As we move throughout the album, we can see that this track is built with an energy that causes it to become the climatic track for the project. This is the track that caused the first hair to crack on this window we tried to open in “intro/welcome”.
9 - girl next door
From listening to the chorus alone, this track has some of the best production on the album. With Lindemann’s soothing vocals filling the empty gaps of instrumentals in the verses, then her voice is distorted alongside the powerful guitar rhythm and drum section - causing us to envision listening to this in a dark club with chaotic lights flashing on and off. Lindemann refers to herself in third person in this track as she once use to be ‘the girl next door’ with her bubblegum pop style that she left behind to find her authentic sound.
10 - we never even dated
Similar to PARANOIA, Lindemann incorporates a softer love ballad on her project to only develop her range of genre-bending even more. Again, she incorporates very raw imagery into these lyrics where she sings: “i still keep your sweater at the back of my drawer / i put it on when my heart needs moral support”. Let’s face it, we all need at least one Maggie Lindemann love song.
11 - novocaine
With the first opening bars showing listeners the intensity of Lindemann’s pain, we know that love can often be so intense that it’s almost like a drug that you crave. Novocaine is a brand of procaine, an anesthetic drug used to numb a part of the body. She sings that this pain from this love is so intense, that she references the use of novocaine to take it all away or at least temporarily numb it - so she can feel it again. Because love is something that we not only crave, but we can’t live without it.
12 - you’re not that special
Another pre-released single that came out prior to the album, Lindemann confronts a relationship that she gained control over. After multiple back stabbings from whoever this other person is, she realizes that they’re not even that special to her at all. This is not the only song of Lindemann’s off of SUCKERPUNCH that regards themes of verbal abuse in relationships, and it’s amazing to see a female punk artist take control over her relationship and understand that she’s worth so much more.
13 - hear me out
The lyrics to this song make me feel so frustrated, because she’s so right. She sings about manipulation once again, and this “poison” she refers to is the emotional deception itself. It’s incredibly frustrating when you’re trying to tell someone the truth about a situation or speak your thoughts on a specific topic - but no one cares to listen. She sings: “scared to love you, life is like i’m just a rag doll on your shelf / oh, you’re not a man / not even a boy, you can’t comprehend / i keep talking, why can’t no one hear me?” The extremities of this song can speak for itself just from this opening verse on its own. Lindemann wrote chilling, raw lyrics that I hope no one has to live these in reality.
14 - how could you do this to me? Ft. Kellin Quinn
First of all, how could anyone not like this song? Not only was it the first single released to introduce Lindemann’s SUCKERPUNCH album, but it features Sleeping With Sirens’ Kellin Quinn. This being the second last song on the album, leaves it in an incredible position as we know one of Lindemann’s musical inspirations is Sleeping With Sirens. She worked with one of her inspirations and it’s a song that closes out her debut LP - Lindemann confidently stands as an inspiration for many young female artists who are looking to experiment with the punk genre itself.
15 - cages
With a heat of sound reminiscent of early Avril Lavigne, “cages” is the last track to close out SUCKERPUNCH and she’s telling not only her audiences but also anyone who she’s crossed paths with in her career that she’s no longer going to be chained down as an artist. After learning all that she went through in her early career, this song touches on how she can finally let her true artistry shine. She wants to live her life the way that she intends to. The fact that “cages” is the final track on her debut LP - shows Lindemann took control over artist image and sound - and this entire project is truly, authentically her.
