Paul Maged - The Glass River (Self-Released)

New York singer-songwriter Paul Maged has recently released the second installment in an ambitious, planned trilogy of EPs. Titled The Glass River, the songs on it are far more political and socially conscious than his previous release, and there’s a real sense of urgency to the production. Many of the songs are venomously political in their messages, and the most direct and successful of these is “Gunz 4 Hire,” an impassioned, angry attack on the NRA and a desperate plea for gun reform.

Maged’s rapid fire lyrics occasionally make it difficult to make out exactly what he’s preaching, but the emotion and fire remain obvious. “Corporate Hell” is about exactly what you think, and follows faithful in its criticisms of tedious middle class careerism descended from the lyricism of The Kinks and The Jam; while others like “Choices” and “The Glass River” are more personal to Maged. It’ll be interesting to see if he will continue this trajectory with an entirely political EP to finish off the trilogy, but the project has already resulted in some of the most potent music in Maged’s career.