McKenzie Iazzetta, better known as Trophy Wife, is certainly not just a pretty face. Contrary to what her name might imply, Trophy Wife’s latest EP, Voyeur, showcases her vocal talent and does not shy away from deep and serious subjects.
Voyeur is an exciting indication of Trophy Wife’s skills and promising musical future. She excels on songs with more of a rock influence, which allow her to showcase the full range of her voice. On the other tracks, Trophy Wife sounds like she is pretending to be another singer, and her raw emotion, vocal talent, and captivating lyrics are somewhat lost in the imitation.
The opening track on the EP “Ask Me Anything” features an intense drum beat that transitions into a melodic guitar solo. Trophy Wife’s voice has a delicate yet strong tone and clearly exudes emotion in each word, similar to how Phoebe Bridgers sings.
“Will you come in and ask about me / So I can lie,” Trophy Wife sings.
Trophy Wife reveals conflicting emotions in these lyrics. A desire to fool or trick someone is not usually associated with love, but seems to be a part of the relationship she sings about.
Trophy Wife’s vocal range and control is impressive. Her ability to perform a vocal flip—during which as a singer switches from their lower register to their upper register, creating a sound similar to a yodel—and her clean riffs demonstrate her technical skill. Trophy Wife’s vocal flips call to mind Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries, another female rock singer.
While the guitar and drums on “Linoleum” sound similar to many indie bands, like Wallows, there is clearly a heavy rock influence in the intensity of the music and Trophy Wife’s powerful vocals. “Linoleum” is a hybrid between a diss track and a love song.
“I hope you think about me all day,” sings Trophy Wife, indicating that she wants to be the center of her lover’s attention.
In “Linoleum,” she speaks about all of the fights she and her lover have had and repeats “I guess I like to learn it all the hard way” at the end of the song. Trophy Wife doesn’t shy away from negative or challenging emotions, going so far as to say she prefers it when things are hard—even in her relationships.
“Enough” is a bit softer and more mellow compared to the first two tracks on Voyeur. It is an emotional song and sounds as if Trophy Wife is pleading with another person over the end of a relationship. At the very end, Trophy Wife opens up her voice and belts out the song. Her emotion is most moving at this point, when it is clear she is holding nothing back.
“Baby’s Breath” begins with a rather heavy drum beat, but paradoxically becomes softer as the high pitch of Trophy Wife’s rock-star screams lend a lightness to the track.
The final song “Leech” is somewhat boring in comparison to the EP’s previous songs. It feels almost like a different artist is performing this song, as the feeling of excitement featured in the other tracks on the EP seems to have dissipated.
Trophy Wife’s lyrics and vocal performance are less emotionally raw and expressive in “Leech” than in the other songs on Voyeur. Musically, the song seems to trudge along with little interesting instrumentation.
At the very end of the song, Trophy Wife bursts into screams, similar to the end of Bridgers’ “I Know the End.” These almost primal screams fail to make the song more engaging and “Leech” remains a disappointing close to an otherwise rather successful EP.
