LOS ANGELES, CA- I found out about the music of Rett Madison when she performed an opening set for Lauren Ruth Ward at the El Rey. You need to keep an eye on this singer/songwriter. Trust me.
Her music deals with heady subject matter framed with a mix of equal parts folk and rock, but what really captured my attention was the maturity of her lyrics and the passion with which she sang them. There are only three songs that she has posted on Spotify, but I can account for at least a dozen listens of “Twenty Five”.
While “God Is Woman” may be her most popular song on the streaming platform, “Twenty Five” is my personal favorite. When I heard her perform that song at the El Rey, I stopped taking photographs immediately after she sang through the chorus (the melodic line of which is about as catchy as anything you’ll hear) for the first time (see the second video below). I had to record the song to remind myself of those powerfully longing feelings of regret, penitence and reflection that she was putting into her performance.
The vocal track on the recording is crisp and pristine… as a recording should be… and I love it. But that live performance of “Twenty Five” was otherworldly for me. As the intensity of the song crescendoed, and the rasp in her voice creeped in when she pulled for the high notes, I felt a real connection with the themes that Rett was singing about. To put it simply … I was moved.
You should move yourself too and go see Rett Madison perform live. She will be performing this weekend (Sunday, January 13th) at The Love Song Bar with Emma Cole. Get a move on.
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