The Music Mag

View Original

Housewife - ‘King of Wands’ | Single Review


August 24 | Written by Jessica Pispisa


Starting this review with a caution, because here comes the description of a relatable feeling we’ve all had: you fall for someone, give them the benefit of the doubt, and when they inevitably break your heart, you blame yourself. Sound familiar?

‘King of Wands’, the new single by Toronto based Brighid Fry (she/they) - better known as Housewife, is a brand-spanking new indie-rock song that dresses this feeling up perfectly while ingeniously referencing Tarot Cards’ figures ‘I wish I was the ‘King of Wands’ (But really, I'm Cassandra)’. The tune follows her recent great EP ‘You’ll Be Forgiven’, which is perfectly titled if you’ve happened to have not stumbled upon any of her musical output yet.

The song is a guitar-and-bass driven kiss off to the patriarchy, and especially the dude who made the singer question as to why they allowed themselves to crumble for someone they inherently knew wasn’t worth any of their affections: ‘I had a lucid dream about you/ Forgot it wasn't all that good’. She doesn’t wallow or blame herself but accepts that she ‘Gave up my power for a real cheap price’ before launching into an exuberant chorus where she declares that ‘You'll crawl back to, you'll crawl back to me.’ Self- possessed lyrics with a crystal-clear perspective, deftly touched with a tinge of righteous rage should always sound this wicked and effortless. And making it all pretty damn catchy?   It’s a win!

Housewife mentions that their music “regularly touches on the experience of being a young, queer, AFAB person existing in a male-dominated industry”, and ‘King of Wands’ makes good on that declaration. Currently it is unknown if this is the lead single to her debut, or just a stand-alone, but either way, we are being treated to a fully original musician with a clear vision on what they intend to do with our time and attention.

Accompanying the song is the music video - which was self-directed by Housewife herself- and is a witchy sleepover that further accentuate the vibe this brilliant singer-songwriter is going for. Tarot card readings, a choreographed dance between her “sisters”, all before an effortless ritual to vanquish off the heartbreaker away for good. 

Housewife is an artist who is perfectly in control of their creative power - sound and visually- that may be still in its beginning. But, so far so marvellous, and, above all, enjoyable.


Watch the music video for ‘King of Wands’ here.

Get tickets to see Housewife here.

Check out ‘King of Wands’ here.

Check out Housewife on Spotify here.

Follow Housewife here.

Follow The Music Mag on Instagram here.

Follow The Music Mag on Facebook here.

Connect with us on Linkedin here.

Check out The Music Mag on TikTok here.

Discover more incredible music with our playlists here.