Anybody remember brit-pop? These days the only thing that seems to be coming from our allies across the pond is a constant stream of post-punk and whatever fad is all the rage amongst their over-zealous music press. The Magic Numbers are here to put the "pop" back in brit-pop. And no, they don’t sound like Coldplay.
This London four piece is two sets of brother and sister siblings, the Stodarts and the Gannons. The band revolves around guitarist/singer/songwriter Romeo Stodart, and his folky blend of likeable pop songs. Instead of the thick and suave accents of his country-mates, Romeo’s vocals have a country twang, and more breezy feel. His sister, Michele, holds down the bass, while the Gannons, Angela and Sean, play melodica and drums respectively. And if you’re wondering, "What in Gods name is a melodica" don’t worry, its like a clarinet with piano keys. Instead of dancy, angular guitar lines, The Magic Numbers stick to old school pop songs about lost love. There’s none of that "You had a boyfriend who looked my girlfriend" shit here.
The first thing that comes to mind about The Magic Numbers’ songs is "harmless". Its straight up pop bliss with country-ish guitars and sweet melodies sung pleasantly by Stodart. The lead single "Forever Lost" is based around jumpy guitar and bass as Stodart hums "Don't let the sun be the one to change you baby/ I wanna learn how to love, if I'm to know/ Cause I wanna go where the people go/ Cause I'm forever lost." The song transfers into a bridge of dueling guitar and bass lines with the female voices crooning, "Looks like it all went wrong/ What am I to do?" It’s a catchy formula, one that is used again in the album on other stand out track "Love Me Like You". The rest of the album is much of the same calm pop, revolving around lovesick stories. Heartbreak never sounded so sweet.
Near the end of the album, a series of slower songs make finishing the album feel lethargic. Some are hits, like closer "Hymn For Her", but others are misses like "This Love" which features a melancholy violin. Its good to see that some new music is coming from Britain that isn’t solely based on the "At least you can dance to it" ideal. I only wish The Magic numbers could have produced a stronger effort than their self title debut. This band is certainly catchy and likeable, if only this album was the same. |