American singer-songwriter Malcolm Todd has quickly built an audience through his blend of indie pop, R&B and bedroom rock music. After the success of his debut in 2025, Todd has returned with “Do That Again,” a 13-track studio album exploring young adulthood and relationships. While the album delivers catchy melodies and layered production, the repetitive and shallow lyrics prevent it from reaching the emotional depth of his first, self-titled album, “Malcolm Todd.”
Some songs rely on Todd’s vocal delivery more than the lyrics themselves, never uniting into a compelling narrative. For example, in “Gun to My Head,” Todd sings, “Yeah, I went on a date, this girl, she didn’t get my jokes / Damn, damn, what the f*** did she not understand?”
Throughout the album, Todd employs similarly awkward phrasing, stumbling through forced suggestiveness that marks a departure from the authenticity and vulnerability characterizing his previous albums.
Despite lacking in its lyricism, the album’s polished and warm production shines through. Groovy basslines, bright guitar riffs, and layered vocal harmonies blend mellifluously with the leading melodies, carrying Todd’s voice even when the lyrics fall short.
Ultimately, “Do That Again” solidifies Todd’s signature indie-pop and R&B style, but fails to further his emotional depth as an artist.
Ekasha Sikka is a member of the class of 2027 at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont.
Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Program for Bay Area high school students, an intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.