A cocktail of self-exploration, heavy guitars and gorgeous vocals

Margaret Sohn has something to say, and she isn’t afraid to be loud about it. In her second EP under the Miss Grit moniker, Impostor, she explores her inner confusion and most personal frustrations, mostly over heavy guitars and lovely drum work. While the six-track EP isn’t perfect, there are some incredibly exciting moments here, and more than enough to make the listen worthwhile. There is certainly plenty in here to reflect upon in terms of Sohn’s personal philosophy.

The EP begins with “Don’t Wander,” a sparing intro, especially relative to the rest of the EP’s instrumentation. Sohn’s airy voice glides carefully yet confidently over intermittent electronic blips, whines and cloudy bed of synths. She reveals a sense of skepticism and fear in the lyrics: “Reaching out, reaching out for your own hand/ But how can you trust where you stand.” 

The intro track then transitions clumsily into “Buy The Banter,” where Sohn first explodes. Her voice is self-assured, deeper and noticeably more imposing. The hard rocking drums offer the perfect accompaniment to the fantastic distorted guitar, and the crescendo near the end of the song is sure to satisfy the fans of Sohn that want something a bit heavier. 

“Blonde” dips back into the more languid sound of the first. The track unfortunately overstays its welcome at around six minutes, but the heavy guitar interplay around the halfway point is cathartic and worth the weaknesses of the track. Sohn just buried herself a bit too deep in the clouds in the first couple minutes of this one, and also had a tough time pulling herself out in the last two minutes.

“Grow Up To” is an another great musical rendition of Sohn’s more aggressive side. The track is carried by a fun vocal cadence to which the electric guitar closely adheres for most of the track. With every curious vocal exclamation on the back end of the track, the guitars grow more and more noisy before an abrupt cut at the end of the track (much like the poor transition at the end of the first track). The drums are fantastic throughout, and remain consistently excellent for the entirety of the EP.

The content of “Dark Side of the Party” can be condensed into Sohn’s frustrated, “I’ve tried…” repetitions. She is clearly desperate for some sort of consistency or reliability in her life, an especially relatable sentiment considering the events of 2020. The project concludes with the title track, a moment of catharsis for Sohn. It’s a great conclusion, and one of the best dives into the heavier side of her musical style. The track gets fiery on the back half, but she opts to end on a lighter and more introspective note, with relaxed acoustic guitar strums and her now-familiar airy vocals bringing the EP home. 

Perhaps Impostor’s softer ending is a nod to the futures—maybe Sohn still has faith that things can get better for everyone. Based on this EP, she certainly has a bright future to look forward to as an artist.