Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Madrai – Turn It Around (2025)

If John Mayer and Kings of Leon were to raise a child, the chances are that impetuous kid with the soft-hearted smile that’ll make you say “oh, you couldn’t possibly do anything wrong”, would be Madrai. Hailing from Northern Ireland, the talented foursome has already established themselves as one of the “pop-rock powerhouses” offering raw emotion, energetic performances, and poetic lyricism to capture your heart and head – not literally, of course. The latest addition to their discography is the single, ‘Turn It Around’.

After a year of winning fans across the UK, the group are making international waves with their music. Following their well-received 2024 debut single, ‘Leaving On My Own’, Madrai gives us a glimpse of what to expect from their upcoming EP with ‘Turn It Around’. Produced with Jonny Woods and mastered by Jon Moorehead, ‘Turn It Around’ takes a step back to early 90s/late 80s pop-rock sounds. A blend of pulsating drums matches a bold bass, with soaring guitars and a twinkling keyboard bringing lightness to the harmonic melody. For me, however, it is the lead guitar that throws in the hard-hitting rock edge to a playful rendition of vintage rock.

A playful tune with the joyful spirit to turn that mundane commute to a rat-race 9-to-5, ‘Turn It Around’ can turn the, “oh crap, it’s Monday” blues around with a wink and encouraging “oh, c’mon it’s not that bad”. Perfectly aligned with the poetic lyricism and empowering, hopeful theme, Madrai take raw emotion and weaves it into toe-tapping music. The band explains:

“We wrote this at a time when we were all feeling a bit stuck, like the spark had gone out. I became a kind of pep talk to ourselves – a reminder that even if it feels hopeless, you can fight your way back. It’s one of the first songs we finished as a full band, and it’s always felt like the moment things started to click.”


In addition to the single, Madrai released an official music video for ‘Turn It Around’. You can view it below and/or on their YouTube channel. Please note that this video uses lighting effects that can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.


THIS VIDEO USES LIGHTING EFFECTS THAT CAN TRIGGER SEIZURES IN PEOPLE WITH PHOTOSENSITIVE EPILEPSY
VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Find out more about Madrai on their Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.


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