Maria Lane’s Carrie White is an amalgamation of indie-folk-pop, delivered through melancholic lyrical motifs and layered over hypnotic harmonies. The eerie aura surrounding this song, combined with the mystic tropes of retribution alluded to in its bars, gives music fans everywhere an ominous glimpse at the effect peer ridicule can play on the mental state of someone who isn’t to be trifled with. The track is a tasteful homage to Carrietta N. White, the central figure in Stephen King’s hit novel Carrie, and a fitting adaptation just in time for spooky season. Lane paints the picture of a high school beta-heroine tormented by stereotypical adolescent mean-girl bullies and left feeling trapped in a cannibalistic social habitat, singing “They taunt you, a haunting realm you can’t escape”. There can be felt a longing for acceptance emanating from the story’s antiShero, a foreseeable byproduct of the persecution she’s faced from the story’s villains; with the zenith of the tune coming in its chorus “Carrie, Carrie White, I know you’re misunderstood, you just want to feel how it feels to feel good.”
The crown jewel of this composition is its pleasantly harmonic vocal arrangement and production; highlighted by Lane’s exceptional pipes, which serve to carry (no pun intended) the canzone as it continues to build. The snare that comes in on verse two adds nicely to the overall rhythm, and the overlay of both lead and backing vocals towards the end of the song create a fitting sense of mental duress that accurately reflects the inner chaos being inflicted upon Carrie’s psyche. A unique touch that doesn’t go unnoticed in this one is the inclusion of female giggling, which further adds to the overwhelming feeling of suffering felt by the tale’s central figure. The vocal doubling throughout the chorus is a clever way to reinforce the message being delivered, as the effect of stacking her vocals creates a sense pluralizing Carrie’s voice, making it appear as if she isn’t alone in in her pilgrimage through these hard times. The effervescent background guitar is an artistic take on the dread felt by the repetition of a speeding clock – further adding to the tension of the song. There is also a tastefully sampled fluorescent lightbulb sound heard throughout that emulates the anxious aesthetic of a public high school and hits listeners with a relatable feeling of dread, creating a strengthened sense of sympathy between the audience and the plight of Carrie White.
Budding Brooklynite balladeer, Maria Lane, is a musical raconteur who beguiles listeners with her heartfelt take on compelling topics like depression, body dysmorphia and starting over after lost love. Heavily influenced by the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Lizzy McAlpine and Avril Lavigne, Lane has developed a style of lyricism that similarly blends a sense of vulnerability with the unmistakable power of girl boss energy. In 2021 she released her first single, Strangers Again, proceeded by her 2022 eight-song EP maybe i’ll feel better and the 2023 single Nashville, both of which came under the tutelage of producer Julian Giaimo. Lane has since aligned herself with new producer Justin Meyer, resulting in the indelible Carrie White, and leaving fans salivating at the thought of what hit she might cook up next.
Written By Dan Caddigan
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