Magic America have recently been making some serious waves in the ever-burgeoning psych rock scene that continues to thrive around Australia, and it’s no wonder. They are as good at crafting a tasty psych songs as your Nanna is at making Pavlova – just the right amount of cream (reverb), crunchy meringue (fuzz guitars), juicy strawberries (beefy drums) and gooey passionfruit (spacious vocals). If all this is Pavlova talk is making your mouth water then just scroll right down and have a listen to the brand new single from the Melbourne four-piece entitled Comes and Goes, cos it’s pretty much the next best thing.
Do yourself a favor and melt into Magic America’s cruisey psych-rock vibes on Comes and Goes.
The band take their name from Blur’s track Magic America, but their music is far more influenced by The Brian Jonestown Massacre or the Dandy Warhols than 90s Brit-pop. On Comes and Goes, following the path of BMJ and the Dandys as avid 60s revivalists, Magic America exult in psychedelic textures, garage techniques and hazy subject matter. The track opens with a wailing riff, shakers, slowly strummed acoustic guitars that could very well be from Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia. But where the Dandys were warm and tight, Magic America are spacious and dreamy on Comes and Goes.
The track is described as being one of “Loneliness, procrastination, boredom and monotony”, but it seems like the darker side of life does wonders for the creative psyche of Magic America. The track cruises along with unhurried calm allowing the weeping lead guitar to thread around singer/guitarist Matt Stapleton’s breathy vocals. There are remnants of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in there, and the guitar solo is a pure classic rock face-melter – a guilty pleasure of many that, if done right, can be pretty damn irresistible.
Comes and Goes came together between a Northcote studio and Stapleton’s own home, giving it an assured lo-fi tinge. Producer Dave Turner has done a solid job retaining the tracks 60s garage vibe while simultaneously giving it an air of space. The drums bash away unassumingly while the chanting harmonies duck and weave around strummed acoustics and reverberated wails.
The four-piece spent the end of 2014 playing festivals like Sydney Psych Fest and Lost Paradise and, if judging by Comes and Goes, they sound like they’d go down a treat on a sunny arvo on a hill somewhere. Do your stress levels a favor and have a listen above and below:
FIND OUT MORE ON
▲ FACEBOOK ▲ TWITTER ▲ SOUNDCLOUD
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/160932625″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
