The British press is always eager for novelties. Always thinking of tomorrow with eyes wide open on the past. When the Pop clock was turned back to 1981, what would be more daring than, say, bring pastoral Folk from the 1960s up from the ashes of Woodstock? This time in a cross-cultural, post-Modern context!
THE MAGIC NUMBERS just did it. Predictably, they were regarded as the bearers of a new generation, if not of Aquarius, of British groups at least. Their label is named “Heavenly Records”. One out of four of their songs bear the world “love”. They played Camelot (oops, Glastonbury) last year to mesmerized audiences. How could they fail? If only they weren’t so sincere…
In the best Summer of Love tradition, they fuse the sunny harmonies of THE LOVIN SPOONFOOL with the acoustic naivety of THE MAMAS AND THE PAPAS and PETER, PAUL AND MARY. Unfortunately, they don t have THREE DOG NIGHT vocal harmonies - Trinidad singer Romeo Stoddart sometimes resembles a constipated EAGLE-EYE CHERRY. His sister Michelle plays the bass like Bossa Nova would. Nuyorican Sean Gannon is the drummer (tiny drummer, more precisely). His sister Angela takes bongos and melodica. Sean aside, all the remainder sing. This is a big-bearded, long-haired, Levis-soaked hippie community walking on the shoes of a Rock group (even though songwritting is a monopoly of the Stoddart brothers). This is a British ensemble of non-Britons. FOUR NON BLONDES would say: What’s up? Hippies, as gnomes, don’t change much across the space and time.
Each and every of their singles outsold the former, until they were the bread and butter of British press, until their shows were more crowded than famous bands’. It all started with 2004’s Hymn For Her (limited to 500 copies), towards the peak in August 2005, with Love You Like Me reaching
12. This is the single I’m in. This time, they made justice to the hype. Remaining within their hippie, hum, magic kingdom, they managed to extract some nice melodies and new clichés. The minimalist production adds to the authenticity. They walked off Top of the Pops considering the presenter was “too rude” addressing the members’ beards and bellies. This is Peace, Love and Understanding, Mark II.
Love You Like Me, as the very MAGIC NUMBERS brand, is not a deceptive phrasing. Sunny, bold and unfettered in its optimism, it is a bouncy jangly rollercoaster that could have been extracted from an ABBA mid-1970s single. More acutely, THE CARPENTERS, as Romeo sings (in perfect COLDPLAY impersonation) alongside his (and Sean’s) sister. BELLE & SEBASTIAN have attempted to find this mellow mood, just with additional melancholy, for a decade. Even if Isobel Campbell wasn’t so far away and Stuart Murdoch hadn’t lost the curse of past centuries, I think they would remain in the dewdrops while MAGIC NUMBERS plays for the whole garden of Eden (if you believe the 1960’s French Riviera to be akin to). The best sunny folk-pop number of the 21st century, even grasping the mood of past decades more than anything else.
Flipside Travelling Souls presents Romeo unfolding the GEORGE HARRISON within. A very BEATLEsque offering, with calculated static working out the frayed tension of a 21st century band recreating the mood (and ideals) of late 1960s (Hey Jude on psycho theraphy). If you prefer, CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH recording with their fiancees, half-drunk. The apoteotic chorus is just the cherry on this melodic cake of expontaneous combustion. The guitar is not revolutionary, but it works marvels here, as well as the minimalist backings. Great number for cosmic trips of gnome-calling.
So? For a single, THE MAGIC NUMBERS honors their brand. What about a whole record? Check out their eponymous 2005 debut. Choice is yours. Get the mood right! See ya.
