Artist: The Magic Numbers
Album: Alias
Bitrate: 243kbps avg
Quality: EAC Secure Mode / LAME 3.98.4 / -V0 / 44.100Khz
Label: Caroline
Genre: Rock
Size: 138.21 megs
PlayTime: 1h 15min 34sec total
Rip Date: 2014-08-16
Store Date: 2014-08-15
Track List:
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01. Wake Up 6:08
02. You K<NO>W 5:54
03. Out On The Streets 3:50
04. Shot In The Dark 4:45
05. Roy Orbison 4:08
06. Thought I Wasn't Ready 3:03
07. E.N.D. 3:49
08. Accidental Song 4:32
09. Better Than Him 4:10
10. Enough 5:51
11. Black Rose 4:52
12. Out On The Streets (Acoustic 4:52
Version)
13. Accidental Song (Alt Version) 4:20
14. Take A Chance/Enough (Alt 9:28
Version)
15. Throwing My Heart Away (Piano 5:52
Version)
Release Notes:
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Over the course of their three albums to date; 2005Æs self-titled debut, Those
The Brokes in 2006 and 2010Æs The Runaway, LondonÆs The Magic Numbers have shown
that they can consistently deliver dynamic, sentimental indie-rock better than
most. Comprising of two sets of siblings û The Stodarts (Romeo and Michele) and
The Gannons (Sean and Angela), the quartet have always exuded an unguarded
intimacy in their music that really couldnÆt be achieved any other way. Their
fourth album Alias only goes to reinforce their already stellar reputation as
one of the true survivors of the mid-æ00s Brit-rock explosion.
The Magic Numbers - AliasFirst track Wake Up opens with some lilting, cinematic
piano before building to some truly ballsy post-rock with some incredible
harmonies which, thanks purely to biology, only siblings can really achieve. It
lulls and undulates in a really impactful way and sets the tone perfectly for
the rest of the record. The choruses of You K(no)w utilize some truly gorgeous
string arrangements to counterbalance the starkness in the verses and
throughout, thereÆs a sense of melancholy that works incredibly well. This is in
part due to Romeo StodartÆs uniquely dexterous voice, which at certain points is
hushed and plaintive, yet at others climactic and soaring.
Nowadays itÆs a bold move to open any record with two songs around the 6-minute
mark as Alias does, but the concise, overdriven Rumours vibe on Out On The
Streets reels things back in wonderfully before lead single Shot In The Dark.
Beyond the gloriously ragged guitar solo, it definitely showcases why they were
chosen to support Neil Young and Crazy Horse on a recent string of European
dates and oozes with the æ70s authenticity of a band twice their age.
The opulence of Roy Orbison is an absolutely gorgeous stylistic nod to the man
himself, yet still has a sound that can only be achieved by The Magic Numbers
alone. Thought I WasnÆt Ready starts with a groove that sits somewhere between
disco and tango but still manages to come across as a romantic spaghetti-western
soundtrack û and thatÆs definitely a good thing. The Fleetwood Mac comparisons
that have dogged the band since their inception are definitely low-hanging fruit
in terms of ôcoed-rock bandö, but theyÆre well deserved nonetheless.
If Thought I WasnÆt Ready alluded to disco, second single E.N.D. puts it on
front-street. ItÆs wonderfully carefree and reverently detail-oriented in terms
of the æ70s aesthetic that permeates most of the record. Accidental Song borrows
heavily from the sonic adventurousness of contemporaries like Elbow or Irish
institution The Frames until the restrained urgency that starts Better Than Him
builds to a pretty powerful climax by traveling from jagged indie-guitar to
alt-country and everything in between. The atmospheric guitar work on Enough
manage to save it from the age-old trope of penultimate-album-track-weakness and
the set rounds out with Black Rose û a true wonder of dynamic control and the
kind of supercharged folk at which you can imagine Neil Young knowingly smiling
from sidestage.
Alias is definitely a record that isnÆt aiming to please everyone, but in doing
so, still manages to pretty damn well. It covers enough ground to not only cater
to their already loyal fanbase, but reel in some newcomers as well. You can
genuinely hear the lifelong love of real family members in each of the songs and
this û as well as being a great band who write great songs û has to be the key
to The Magic NumbersÆ 12 years of success.