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(2023) Magic Wands - Switch
Review:
Almost any artist can approximate the dream-pop aesthetic with a few effects pedals and some shadowy fashion but few bands can ground it in a way that doesn’t drift away like a passing whisper on the wind. Magic Wands cut through the fog of mystery to find firm ground on which to build their songs making Switch one of the most engaging listens to come along in quite some time. Guitarists Dexy and Chris Valentine swirl the noise of their amps together to create wondrous atmospheres that invite exploration while the rhythm section provides a gravity that keeps the music from floating too far into orbit. The necessary “Prelude” serves to pull us into the experience with sixty-seconds of haunting ambiance as the listener disconnects from the constant buzz of reality. “Joy” showcases everything Magic Wands does brilliantly with a firm bass line cutting through the slow churning drone of guitars while Dexy’s voice calls out from a distant horizon. It’s dream-pop painted with darkness and there is a lot happening here that will make the most loyal fans of The Cure get some tingles. There are plenty of bands you could reference listening to Magic Wands but only in the best ways. The most apparent to my ears would be Black Ryder and their timeless debut Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride. However, there is more of a UK sensibility to the Magic Wands sound and a more celestial undercurrent. The title track provides a sense of propulsion to the album as tempos build and the band’s gothic inclinations start to rock a little harder. The magnificent “Daylight” pulls from post-punk and shoegaze without fussing about where one ends and the other begins. The song becomes a completely different experience if you buy the complete digital release as the Stargods remix reimagines the track as synth-wave with equally amazing results. Released the same week as The Cure begin their summer tour of North America, this is shaping up to be a dark summer and Switch is the perfect soundtrack for long drives and lonely moments stolen away from life’s miserable din. Most importantly, the music refrains from the sonic artifice that often turns this style of rock-n-roll into something cute but vacuous. Magic Wands have created something fragile but strong, a perfectly balanced listening experience for fans of darker dream-pop and slightly less gloomy goth-rock. — velvetrebelmusic.com
Track List:
01 - Prelude
02 - Joy
03 - Switch
04 - Daylight
05 - Falling Trees
06 - Starbreeze
07 - Time
08 - Whispers
09 - Dream '92
10 - Sea Glass
11 - Further Away
12 - Candle Sea
Media Report:
Genre: dream-pop, indie-pop
Country: Los Angeles, California, USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)
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