Mia Walz's latest single, “Mistake,” comes out swinging, presenting a soulful, groove-heavy confession that feels as private as a whispered secret and as full-bodied, channeling the sound of an entire band jamming in unity. The song captures that slender moment between feeling something so intimately and having the audacity to ask if the other person thinks it too, an area most of us recognize but few articulate this clearly.
A live-recorded foundation allows “Mistake” to blossom. Walz refuses to buff the nerves and nuance away, she plays them up. The result is a song that throbs with actual-time feeling, heartbeat-steady bass, sun-warm keyboard tones, and a rhythm section that complements the crumple-y flow only an utterly in-sync band can provide. The mix is a killer combination of Soul Pop, Funk, and Jazz that evokes for me a familiar yet unpredictable space, like the haven in which it was written.
“Mistake” lingers in that anxious afterglow of connection when you’re replaying conversations, reinterpreting glances, and wondering if you maybe imagined the spark. Walz expresses these misgivings tenderly rather than melodramatically, so that the emotional stakes register as honest, not heavy-handed. Then there’s the moment that will bring a smile to any musician, an exchange-solo section of electric guitar and trumpet, that rare musical dialogue that feels playful, venturesome, and damned refreshing. It’s the sound of two instruments like two people trying to suss each other out in real time.
Catchy enough to sing along to, but also layered enough to sit with, “Mistake” shows Mia Walz is an artist who isn’t afraid to show her seams and run them through a tape delay until they’re something beautiful. This song does not simply pose a mild question, it grooves through one.