No world weary dissertations about the end of life as we know it, no agonizing over new directions or where to turn, and hallelujah, no songs about how tough it is to be a famous rock star –The Magic Numbers’ are back with their second album, Those The Brokes. With the luxury of being able to revisit and remodel the album they released late last year in the UK, the band now offer up an arguably superior, revised and re-sequenced version (with a more colorful cover) that better presents their latest collection of sun-drenched guitar-pop.
The band has been tirelessly touring in the UK and US ever since their debut self-titled album. They’ve performed critically lauded sets at Coachella, Bonnaroo, and SXSW, touring with the likes of Bright Eyes, Feisty, The Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth while in the UK they supported U2 and all-time hero Brian Wilson. In between all these tours they locked themselves away over the summer to record their second album in Woodstock, NY. “We haven’t really stopped,” says Romeo Stodart, who writes the lion’s share of the songs and swaps harmonies with his bassist sister Michele and multi-instrumentalist Angela Gannon. Angela’s drumming brother Sean completes the close-knit quartet. “We did think about having a break, but we had a bunch of new songs and were just so excited to get back into the studio. We didn’t want to chill for months and then come back feeling rusty.” Their first string arrangements are here, most notably on the waltzing, complex “Boy.” A nine-piece orchestra was arranged by Robert Kirby, the man who handled the strings on Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left and Bryter Layter. Michele Stodart swoons all over the heartbreaking “Take Me Or Leave Me,” a composition of her where she played nearly every instrument. Angela Gannon sings the lead on the vibrant vintage soul of “Undecided.”
Romeo’s lyrical inspirations remain the same, but if his love life was simple, new songs such as “Take a Chance” and “You Never Had It” might never have existed. “I really wanted to be more observational and bring in a lot more imagery,” he says, “I think there's an element of that to some of the songs but on reflection it's an album that yet again is hugely personal.”
Track listing:
1. This is a Song
2. You never Had it
3. Take A Chance
4. Boy
5.Undecided
6. Slow Down
(The Way It Goes)
7. Keep it In the Pocket 8.Take Me Or Leave Me
9. Let Somebody In
10.Runnin Out
11. Goodnight
12. All I See
(Hidden Track)
The Magic Numbers are: Romeo Stodart - vocals/guitar
Michele Stodart - bass/vocals
Angela Gannon - melodica/
wurlitizer/vocals
Sean Gannon - drums
ON TOUR
AUGUST 27 - Milwaukee - Pabst Theatre
AUGUST 29 - Toronto - Lee's Palace
(* supporting Rufus Wainwright)
