Single Review: Consume

“These violent delights have violent ends”, opens Madeline’s debut single, an infamous quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet which sets the scene for the brutality of Consume. It’s the artist’s first solo release away from her alt-rock band She Loves You. The track defines her as a performer who will never shy away from her truth.

Madeline’s lyrics are painfully honest, comparing her lover’s overindulgent behaviour with alcohol to inadequate treatment within their relationship. The titular line, “you don’t know how to love when you just consume”, is particularly striking with its direct and bold imagery. Underneath these sour lines, samples from films and plays sputter throughout the song. Whilst they often provide a moment of interest, occasionally they can be rather jarring, distracting from Madeline’s own words.

The song’s highlight is its moody, pulsing chorus, stacked with stunning reverb-y vocals and a catchy underlying riff. It greatly contrasts the more reeled-in verses. However, this does make it apparent that the song could use some more dynamic range, as there is clear potential for a bigger build by the chorus’s final loop. Nonetheless, Madeline’s performance carries the track with its glossy, thick timbre. Not only does she sing pitch-perfect with little help from production, but she injects a sense of deep, biting emotion into each line. This is particularly noticeable in her beautiful background ad-libs, where her voice dances lightly around the juxtaposing haunting instrumental.

Fearless and proud of her feelings, Consume is a promising debut from Madeline, whose girl band history provides this dark pop track with a gritty rock edge. It’ll be a thrill to see where this mysterious and honest artist goes next.