Atwood Magazine is thrilled to present our Editor’s Picks column, curated and written by Editor-in-Chief Mitch Mosk. Each week, Mitch will highlight a selection of songs, albums, and artists that have resonated with him. There is a wealth of incredible music just waiting to be discovered, and all it requires from us is an open mind and a readiness to listen. Through Editor’s Picks, we aim to illuminate our musical discoveries and celebrate a diverse mix of new and recent releases.
This week's Editor’s Picks includes Reem Mitten, hard life, BEL, Lord Huron, girlpuppy, and Young Gun Silver Fox!
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**“Back to the Start of It” by Reem Mitten**
Reem Mitten’s “Back to the Start of It” resonates intimately and unapologetically in all the right places. Cathartic, catchy, and effortlessly cool, it’s a soulful and seductive tune that captivates your attention and refuses to let go—passionate and intense, infused with longing, bitterness, nostalgia, and the slow pain of betrayal. Mitten's first song of the year is an unfiltered, all-encompassing confession that captures the hollow ache of looking back at love after it has been tarnished, yearning for the simplicity of the beginning despite knowing there’s no turning back. It’s slick, tender, triumphant—and it has been on repeat in my head and heart since my first listen.
Independently released on April 15, “Back to the Start of It” marks Reem Mitten’s fourth song release (following last August's two-track EP, It’s All Colour, and November’s single “All Your Love”). Born in North West London, Mitten dives deep into her emotionally charged reflection, trying to discern what went wrong, when it happened, and why.
“When I wrote ‘Back to the Start of It,’ I aimed to capture a shift in dynamics — the kind that unveils anger, frustration, and the pain of feeling misunderstood by someone you once believed truly understood you,” Mitten explains. “It’s that moment when something breaks, and you realize you’re no longer seen the way you thought you were.”
In the chorus, she pleads, “I wanted it, I needed it. How do we get back to the start of it?” confronting the devastation of a relationship and the desperate desire to rewind time. “Despite everything, there’s still that longing to return to the beginning,” she shares. “Before the cracks, before we acknowledged each other’s flaws, before our bubble burst.”
Produced by Dave McCracken (Depeche Mode, Ian Brown, Alicia Keys) and written in her Cricklewood apartment above an old wine bar, “Back to the Start of It” channels the emotional drama of artists like Fiona Apple and Florence + the Machine. Yet Mitten’s voice—shaped by her Moroccan-Irish roots and lifelong musical journey—is entirely her own: Magnetic, commanding, and impossible to overlook.
“At its heart, the song is about conflicting emotions: the pain of loving someone, the frustration of feeling unheard, and the aching desire to return to a time before everything fell apart,” Mitten adds. “I think I’ve come to realize that while we may talk, we don’t truly communicate—especially about our genuine feelings. It’s difficult. So instead, we harbor these silent conversations within ourselves that never escape our minds.”
“I aim to write in a way that allows space for interpretation, so the listener can derive their own meaning. It’s not about being entirely understood; it’s about evoking something familiar—a feeling, a moment—that they’ve experienced as well.”
We wish to go back. We yearn for it—but returning to the start is simply impossible. In three mesmerizing minutes, Reem Mitten conveys a hard, universal truth with equal measures of soul and sophistication, her heart bruised, bitter, and never hidden away. Consider me captivated for life.
**“othello” by hard life**
Witty, charismatic, clever, and endlessly catchy, hard life’s “othello” is a captivating reintroduction—showcasing an artist revitalized, vibrant, and in their element. Blending quirky acoustics with hook-laden hip-hop and enchanting wordplay, Murray Matravers crafts a nuanced, intoxicating track that is as emotionally incisive as it is sonically daring.
“It was the obvious choice because it hints at the new sonic terrain of hard life without straying too far from what fans might expect,” Matravers explains to Atwood Magazine. “It was also the last song I wrote for the album, so it felt the most fresh—perhaps it’s just recency bias, but I’m thrilled that it’s out in the world and resonating with people.”
Written and recorded in Japan, “othello” plays
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This week's Editor's Picks, selected by Mitch Mosk, includes tracks from Reem Mitten, hard life, BEL, Lord Huron, girlpuppy, and Young Gun Silver Fox!