By Henry Lipput
The Magic Es take this rock-and-roll stuff seriously. On their debut album, It Goes On, this four-piece from Norwich, England, play with a commitment -- and a sense of dynamics -- that I really like a lot.
My favorite track, "One Shot," has all of this and more. Starting with a hushed, solo piano, the song slowly adds a guitar lick and cymbal tapping. Then the full band comes crashing in. The lead and backing vocals really mean it when they sing: "You've got one shot / To make it what you want / Give it all you have." There's also some excellent guitar playing in the break; you can just imagine the guys grinning broadly as they stand back-to-back on a concert stage.
Another highlight is the band's take on the three-minute pop song (well, 2 minutes and 59 seconds, but who's counting?). "Color Up My World" has, what seems to me, a very new way of talking about love: "Girl, you color up my world / My sepia tones have been refreshed." Very cool. In addition, there's a hint of "There She Goes" by The La's in the song
The Magic Es formed in 2014 and consist of Pete Thompson on vocals and guitars, Jasper Stainthorpe on bass, Stuart Catchpole on drums and background vocals, and Phil Woods also on guitar. It's obvious in their assured playing that they all have impressive musical experience which includes running record labels, world tours, and top 40 singles and albums.
Having been around for a while, it's more than likely these guys would have picked up influences from other groups. What makes a band unique is their ability to make these influences their own. As shown on "Color Up My World" and other songs on It Goes On, The Magic Es have done just that.
"Melody Jane" and "Run Baby Run" are swell, straight-ahead rockers with the band at full speed ahead. The acoustic guitar on "Cellar Door" adds to their sonic palette, and the guitar solos have more than a little Noel Gallagher sound to them.
On "Innocence," there's a chiming guitar throughout the song that has a real Stone Roses vibe (there's also one on "Heroes."). Stainthorpe's bass is a major part of the ban'’s sound, and, on this song, there's even a bass solo. Thompson's and Woods's guitars also have a field day as they play around each other in the song's final minutes. It's a terrific sound. And I have to mention the tremendous drumming by Catchpole on this track -- and throughout the album; he has an especially prominent part on "Running Scared."
It Goes On is out now on Oh Mercy! Records.
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