I’ve had midwxst on my radar for a while but hadn’t truly taken the time to sit and listen through his music. I had the chance to hear his debut album E3 a few weeks early at the listening party. After listening through the music in whole, getting to understand what the project meant to him, and seeing firsthand the track by track breakdown I was instantly impressed with this body of work. There’s an emerging sound of hyper-pop rock inspired hip-hop that many new artists have put their own spin on alongside midwxst. There’s a standout level of individuality, personality, and innovation in this project that speaks to his level of talent. 

Getting into the album I’ll highlight a few of my favorites. The beginning of the tape starts with tracks such as “pretty girls” and “warning” which saw success as the two focus singles before release. One of my personal favorites towards the start is “Heartache Blues.” The track starts of fairly melodic with midwxst singing over a piano beat, the track quickly gets much more dynamic and his tone is more raw and rock inspired. I like this duality of midwxst he shows a softer side on this track while remaining true to the alternative rock like vibe that defines the project. The tracklist is split in half by “grandpa’s interlude” which I thought was a beautiful personal touch in a debut tape. We hear a recording of midwxst’s grandfather speaking about love, what it means, and how can you find it. 

This album is evidently very personal to midwxst and you can hear it in the lyricism, showcasing themes of love, growth, and identity. My next two favorite tracks come from the second half of the tape, the first being “s.f.b.” This song is inexplicably catchy, the hook is addictive and easy to learn. It’s such a fun song and I think it’d be great in a live set. My next favorite is “hate how much,” I love the lyricism here as it’s a reminder of just how young midwxst is. This single is the epitome of first relationships, the constant back and forth, not being able to let go, and toxic cycles that people get stuck in. A few tracks I won’t delve into but want to mention are “old me” and “ready for you.” These two speak to the theme of how much midwxst has grown through his career. He’s genuinely crafted such a specific sound in such a strong way.

This EP proved his ability to get more personal, showed attention to detail, and appreciation for high quality work. The project plays through well from start to finish and it feels like very genuine work. I’m excited to see where midwxst goes next off the back of this. He’ll be touring the album this fall having announced North American dates so far! I encourage you to take some time to listen to E3 in full and if you can catch a live show!

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