The first thing that might strike you about Magic!’s debut is that there’s not a hair out of place. This is a record by a band who know what they’re doing. It’s measured, well-performed and boasts sparkling production. And, it’s really quite dull.
The Toronto quartet are led by Nasri Atweh, whose pen has previously been employed by Chris Brown, Justin Bieber and Shakira, and currently riding the huge wave created by Rude, a single that has topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic so far this summer.
If you’re a Rude convert, there’s plenty to like here. Magic! are happy to wear their love of the Police on a collective sleeve, with frequent nods to the pop-reggae of 311 or fellow Canadians illScarlett, and throughout there are similar laid-back melodies and layered harmonies.
No Evil is perhaps the most successful homage to Sting and the boys, stepping out from the album’s often sedate pacing to offer a pin-sharp hook, with Stupid Me nipping at its sprightly heels. The title track and Little Girl Big World attempt to do the same, but both end up going nowhere within a more overtly pop framework.
Elsewhere, though, Magic! are far too happy to keep things in third gear. There’s not a great deal here that will offend to the point of ripping the needle from your deck - except perhaps the strange air of a transfer of property at the heart of Rude - but there’s every chance that you’ll have tuned out long before the final wah licks of How Do You Want To Be Remembered?.
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