Magdalena Bay • A Little Rhythm And A Wicked Feeling (2020) [RIYL: future-nostalgic pop]

Missed their sold out DC show. Per reference above I saw this in an online review -- Throughout the show, Tenenbaum and Lewin had been interacting with an AI trapped in the screen behind them named Chaeri. When they exited the stage, Chaeri reappeared, and in PSA-chic, stated, “If you want an encore, please clap now.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXLCHvRsgRQ

The coda on that is probably my favourite part of the whole album and a major reason I want to see them live.

New single and video is great. Love them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxaJ8aiURgU

Am I crazy that I’ve recently noticed she has a very Britney Spears tone to her vocals and enunciations and now I can’t stop hearing it in every song of them?

Anyways love the change in style. This sounds like Magdalena Bay doing a song in Men I Trust’s style. It’s probably the bass, it has the same palm-muted with a pick style.

Britney Spears tone

lol i hear it

not huge on this one but it gets interesting eventually at least

Great single. These guys are the best.

Great tune. They give the impression they can do anything and make it good.

Reminds me of ‘Money Lover,’ one of my faves from them. I like it when they lean sophisti-pop!

their remix of Soccer Mommy's "Shotgun" is pretty great too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itZ8lET8h_s

That remix is awful. Ditches everything that was great about the original (snaking baseline in the verses, shoegazey chorus) and replaces it with a rubbery uninspired disco bassline and fake vinyl crackle. Why?!

Just checked out the Mag Bay album yesterday though, and it's good. Shimmery synth pop. Don't really hear Ford and Lopatin as mentioned up-thread, though. That album is killer.

Bassline* obvs, autocorrect...

That new song sounds like it's off the most recent Clairo album, but then they lay on the interesting textures. It's not quite sticking with me yet.

Mercurial World gets better with repeated listens. I can see where the Ford and Lopatin comparisons are coming from now, esp on Follow the Leader and Dawning of the Sesson. The title track slays.

Follow The Leader may be quietly the highlight. I feel like Neon Indian is another big influence.

New song Unconditional:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQjqyxC97gA

Deluxe version of Mercurial World is up/out featuring the two new tracks, some different mixes, instrumental bits and fifteen 'secret' snippets

I assume the "secrets" come from people calling the hotline that appears in the music video? A pretty fun fan service idea; not sure the results benefit the songs, but I guess this is like the ultimate admission of the monster outside the window in the video linked above.

I just gave this a listen, and I have to say it's not an improvement on the original album. Magdalena Bay said on Instagram that the flow of the album was "super important" to them, but I think the flow suffers significantly.

The Secrets tracks are pretty throwaway, and not many of them are actual secrets or confessions.

Unconditional is an excellent single and every bit as good as the songs on the original album. But it breaks up the flow between Mercurial World and Dawning of the Season, which worked so well on the original.

The 8-bit instrumental of You Lose! is fun but throwaway and doesn't add anything to the album.

The Something for 2 remix doesn't come close to the magic of the original.

Prophesy (Synths and Strings) is nice minimalist reimagining, but it lacks the urgency of the original.

Chaeri (Danny L Harle Remix) is a bad hyperpop reimagining.

Chaeri (Piano and Strings) is a lovely slow-burn ballad.

Dominó (Spanish Version) is pretty self-explanatory.

Mercurial World (Piano and Strings) is another ballad reimagining. The syrupy strings work really nicely.

Overall, I'd say Deluxe is pretty inessential. The original album is much better as a sustained listen.

That said, these tracks would have made a nice little placeholder EP:

1. Unconditional
2. Chaeri (Piano and Strings)
3. Dominó (Spanish Version)
4. Mercurial World (Piano and Strings)
5. You Lose! (8-Bit)
6. Prophesy (Synths and Strings)

Mini Mix 3 now on Bandcamp

it's fine but has nothing on the first two minimixes or the album

or a little rhythm & a wicked feeling

As always they have a meme-y video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgkx28IlFi8

I’m going to let my brain absorb it for a while before making a judgement. I guess if it really isn’t as good they are probably now at a stage where they are keeping the best ideas for any singles/albums.

Think my favourite on any of these mini-mixes is Turning Off the Rain, really wish there was a long version of it.

Nothing on Mini mix 2 actually grabbed me much. 'EXO' and 'Wandering Eyes' on 3 seem like highlights. Personal faves from before the last album are:

Neon
Waking Up
Afternoon In Heaven
U Wanna Dance?
Mine
Ghost