Review

By Emily Strout | 25/06/2026

Has Malcolm Todd “Done that Again?” The 22-year old musician from Los Angeles has experienced an astronomical rise in the past year, and expectations were high for this third album. Do That Again retains the hallmarks of Todd’s indie style, yet is filled with new ideas that show growth for a young artist with so much ahead of him. The last I checked in with Malcolm Todd was right before the release of his previous album, the self-titled Malcolm Todd. At the time, I found him charming, although he clearly was stepping in the large shoes of artists like Steve Lacy, Dominic Fike, and Omar Apollo (the latter was even featured on one of his songs). Todd excels in catchy, alternative pop, filled with R&B sounds and confessional lyrics that resonate with his young audience. A self-professed “wholesome rockstar”, Todd’s managed to create his own niche (although how niche can he be, when hit song “Earrings” from his first album Sweet Boy has been consistently in the Spotify global Top 50 for weeks?). Do That Again, thankfully, is good. A mix of heartbreak and love, Todd seems to reflect on a just-passed relationship and the longing that accompanies it. Highlights for me from the album include the lamenting “Obsessica” where Todd ends the song by calling out various female names (even including family members: “I’m talking to Melissa, I’m talking to her sister and her cousin and her mom”), expressing the mild insanity of budding romance. “I Saw Your Face”, one of the album’s singles, has been on constant repeat as I can’t get enough of Todd singing “Life’s not a movie, I’m not a movie star”. Some aren’t quite as much of a hit—“Malcolm in the Middle” is jaunty, though perhaps too quirky for myself, and “Ain’t That The Truth” is a mouthful of lyrics to consume. Still, they slot themselves well enough onto an album which remains remarkably consistent all the way through. The more I listen, the more I appreciate Todd’s sound. He doesn’t necessarily sell incredible poetic lyricism or mind-bending guitar-playing, but what he does provide is a vibe. When you listen to Do That Again, you step into Todd’s LA world of love, sadness, joy, and whatever else he has going on, and you’re imbued with all of that fuzzy feeling. It’s authentically him, and his goofy personality bleeds all over the songs and videos/visualizers he’s put out to accompany them. Malcolm Todd has a clear path ahead of him, with a sold-out North American tour in his near future and international stardom imminent. I’m looking forward to watch him progress.