{"id":574,"date":"2011-08-10T05:49:21","date_gmt":"2011-08-10T10:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=574"},"modified":"2011-08-10T05:49:21","modified_gmt":"2011-08-10T10:49:21","slug":"ep-review-magic-punches-brightly-colored-tapes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2011\/08\/10\/ep-review-magic-punches-brightly-colored-tapes\/","title":{"rendered":"EP Review: Magic Punches – Brightly Colored Tapes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quite a number of self-released releases find their way onto my desk for potential review. Considering one of them for said review presents a dilemma: some readers who happen by my blog will note their unfamiliarity with the name of the act, and thus choose to move on. And clearly one of my goals with this five-a-week column (now in its third year) is, y\u2019know, to increase readership. Fair or not, for an indie release to make it into the “yes” pile, it has to impress more than a little. It has to sell itself.<\/p>\n

So when I find a self-released disc that is (in my estimation, since I\u2019m the house estimator around here) worthy of review, I take the chance. This is one of those cases. Portland OR-based Magic Punches<\/strong> has a disc called Brightly Colored Tapes<\/em>. At seven songs, I suppose it should be termed an EP. The songs are of the modern-alternapop variety, but with a melodic sensibility.<\/p>\n

The opener \u201cHalloween Girl\u201d kicks off with speedy drum loops and Coldplay<\/strong>-ish piano figures. Breathy vocals navigate musical territory that owes an equal debt to Radiohead<\/strong> and Ben Folds Five<\/strong>. Overall, the group\u2019s approach isn\u2019t far from what Dhani Harrison<\/strong> did with his group thenewno2<\/strong><\/a>: stuttering drum patterns that race along, bubbling under a melody that seems to run at a slower pace. That description might sound odd, but it works.<\/p>\n

\u201cFigurine\u201d employs some almost-jazz chords and a more subtle drum approach, and shows that the band can mix some nice vocal harmonies into their songs with ease. A tasty analog-sounding synth line makes for a lovely hook upon which to hang the song. The track is quite radio-ready, and the high polish of the production belies the indie nature of the effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cLSFAFES\u201d (I don\u2019t know either; my best guess is \u201cLove Song for a\u2026\u201d) reaches back to the 80s for its approach; the song has faint yet pleasing echoes of Max Eider<\/strong> and Aztec Camera<\/strong>. A lovely coda comes as a bit of a surprise to this, possibly the strongest track on Brightly Colored Tapes<\/em>. \u201cCastle\u201d moves back toward piano-centric territory, with a sound one might find on an old 10cc<\/strong> record. \u201cSecond Guess\u201d will bring a smile to anyone who knows who Owsley<\/strong> was; it features classic melodic construction and arrangement, and it\u2019s quite catchy as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Glass Astronaut\u201d is built upon a bed of Wurlitzer electric piano and those modern drum-loop things, and features a plaintive, yearning treated vocal. The track\u2019s subsonic bass lines evoke groups like Air<\/strong> and Zero 7<\/strong><\/a>. A trilling guitar solo is icing on the cake. The disc wraps up with \u201cThe Thought of You,\u201d which sounds uncannily like a Beatles<\/strong>que Elliot Smith<\/strong> outtake circa XO<\/em>\u2019s \u201cBaby Britain,\u201d with the pop quotient dialed up a few notches. Few independent artists are capable of such ear candy; fewer still could end a set of songs on a high note of this caliber.<\/p>\n

Brightly Colored Tapes<\/em> is available at the usual online outlets including CDbaby<\/a>. More info on Magic Punches is available at magicpunches.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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