The thing I love most about writing on music are those distinctive moments while encountering tracks that immediately strike a chord within you. It might be a line, a beat switch, a particular riff, but those singular moments affect me more than they should. And hell, it can come from anywhere. Off the top of my head, the ‘Don’t cry, Don’t raise your eye, It’s only teenage wasteland’ line on ‘Baba O’Riley, and the breakdown on Pitbull’s ‘excuse me’ moment on ‘Give Me Everything’ both hit that special spot.
When I heard ‘Something about the Moment’ the first time, I felt that special something. It’s that feeling in your gut, the ones that force a lump in your throat, that simultaneously evoke melancholic and gleeful nostalgia all at once. From the moment that first riff comes crashing down, I had immediate Goosebumps. I’m a sucker for songs about coming of age, and this album, and this song in particular, just get that emotion so very right. It’s not just in the lyrics, it’s in every chord, every style of delivery, every element of the backing production. ‘Something about the Moment’ is just infused with warmth and reassurance, but also strangely wistful. I just couldn’t help but dive into the full album.
And then came back ‘Heartache in Verse’. This time sung by Margaret Engel, it’s got that playful indie rock energy to it that compels you to reminisce on the happy-go-lucky days of your youth. It does so in a way that doesn’t leave you either sad or happy. If there ever was a moment to use that Dr Seuss quote, ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened’, this album hits that nail on the head. ‘One day we’ll laugh about today, our silly past somehow seems to fly away’ sings Margaret as you sing along with each memorable line.
The magic (pun unintended) is littered everywhere, with ‘The Ballad of Cowboy Colin’ being another memorable piece. The vocal mixing here is odd, but the almost cacophonic instrumental setup here somehow makes for an endearing listen. The ‘and now it’s all brand newww’ section is especially beautiful. No two songs really sound similar. ‘Bunnies’ is slightly whiny, with an almost Blink-182 feel to it. It’s another gem that just blows past you leaving you feeling all fuzzy inside.
Magic Finger’s debut album took two years to perfect, and the result shows. It is, without a doubt, a special one.
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