Georgia Maq – God's Favourite

1000 Rats Records

I’d lay my life on the line for Georgia Maq. Throughout the late 2010s, Maq’s unmistakable voice and incisive penmanship acted as the centrifugal force of Camp Cope as the Australian trio released a pair of albums that chartered a viable path away from the milquetoast dude-centric Emo Revival. Sure, they were still signed to Run For Cover, but songs like “Jet Fuel Can't Melt Steel Beams” and “The Opener” sure felt a hell of a lot more pointed and important than whatever Philly band was whining about girls that month. 

After a punk diversion in Würst Nürse and a random (but fruitful) linkup with Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Maq released the highly underrated Pleaser under her own name at the tail end of 2019, just before the world shut down. Her first solo album was a decided pivot away from the alternative rock she’d been making in Camp Cope as well as the miscellaneous acoustic tracks she’d dropped under her name at that point. Featuring almost entirely electronic instrumental beds courtesy of Katie Dey, Pleaser still centered around Maq’s phenomenal voice, pointing things in a sparkling pop direction with songs that pulsated and simmered into singalong dance parties rather than sweaty mosh pits. 

Camp Cope returned for one more outing, 2022’s Running With The Hurricane, before putting the project to bed – going out on their own terms and ending their discography with one of the finest songs the three had ever created: “Sing Your Heart Out.” By the end of that same year, Maq relitigated her solo work with a live EP that stripped her songs down to the bare minimum: just her voice, piano, and violin, rendering five songs from the iconic Sydney Opera House. Turns out that EP was a bit of a canary in the coal mine for what was to come next.

Released just last week, God’s Favourite brings a newfound clarity to Maq’s songwriting, perhaps best exemplified by the de facto title track, “Pay Per View,” in which piano, drums, and a full horn section accompany our hero as she builds up to a stunning wail of “Still god’s favourite.” Throughout the rest of the EP, Maq waxes poetic on dancers, devils, god, and guns over songs with a light Americana lilt. There are nods back to figures from Camp Cope songs, but largely thanks to the refreshing instrumental choices, this pack of ballads feels definitive and standalone. 

From full-throttle emo and dancy electronica to GothBoiClique one-offs and beautiful piano-led ballads, it seems that Georgia Maq’s voice sounds good against any musical backdrop one could conceive of. On this new EP, Maq has said, “Every release gets me closer to self-actualisation, and God’s Favourite is the next big step for me,” which only makes me more excited for whatever the future holds.