Miss Grit | Impostor

By Jen Ho Contributor

Jen

Straight from the beginning with "Don't Wander", NYC-based Margaret Sohn, aka Miss Grit, envelopes us in a psyche trance, drunk with defeat, hungover from detachment: 

"Reaching out, reaching out for your own hand
But how can you trust where you stand" 

Racial Imposter Syndrome is my morning coffee in the American music industry as an Asian American. It finds oneself a victim of constantly filling one's head with dreams, ripping them straight out from doubt, and then cowering in a corner of worthlessness as demonic voices whisper that you don't belong. Sohn knows this all too well, as her new EP Imposter takes us along the ride in her pursuit of turning that very psychological pattern into validation, success, and peace with herself. It's an astoundingly intimate project, bursting with a cathartic release relatable to those who need help with keeping on and trusting the process. Her psyche opening transitions into bouts of bitterness, defeat of innocence, and finally ambiguous victory.

As clear as the emotional intention of this EP release was the desire to also showcase her abilities, and Sohn did not disappoint. Her journey is accompanied by sonic swells of gentle thrashes, reminiscent of those late nights on the subway platform when no one else is around to see you let it all go. Guitar lines burst with expertise and musicianship. Every line, arrangement, and swell is planned to the tee. She is as meticulous and nuanced of a producer as a sculptor carving a marble statue, and has the vocal delivery of someone who’s traveled to Hell and back. Finally, Sohn's lyrics are minimal and gentle on the surface, yet stabbing to the chest with raw depressive pragmatism. No extra hair strands go unchecked, let alone sit out of place. “Grow Up To” is a heart-wrenching example of such words:
When I fall dead I’ll still crave the next place all the same
And in the morning I will wait till it’s late for my fate, resuscitate

Once this COVID nonsense is over, I’ll be front and center at the first Miss Grit show I can get my hands on. I am certain Margaret's artist journey has just begun, and she should be prepared for an exciting adventure ahead without (unhealthy amounts of -- some is good!) reservations after this stunning release.