The Magic Gang - Death Of The Party
The Brighton boys are back, blessing us with their second album, ‘Death of the Party’. As may be apparent from the title itself,in this album they have moved away from the upbeat Beach Boys sound they are known for, bringing their music along with them as they mature and begin to navigate their late 20s.
This album explores a mosaic of genres and emotions,interlaced with story-telling through different perspectives of the same party. As opposed to the upbeat love songs that made up their debut, this album allows for a deeper insight into the minds of the band members. The tracks, whilst founded on their usual sunny optimism, also contain poetic, honest lyrics. In this way, whilst their first album carries more universal themes (love and breakups), I think that this album will prove itself to be ultimately more relatable; the feelings and memories dwelled on will feel familiar to a lot of us.
Disco-charged and soul-influenced ‘Take back the Track’ and ‘Think’ both embody the upbeat, indie-pop sound that fans know and love, whilst in tracks such as ‘What Have You Got To Lose’ The Magic Gang divulge into a heavier, indie-rock sound, echoing the impossible realities of navigating adulthood and the mental health struggles that can come with it. Similarly, ‘I am sunshine’ is about getting older and realising what’s important. 'Gonna Bounce Back’'s hope-fuelled chords and lyricism serve as a potent message, especially during these uncertain times, about acceptance. It reminds us to ‘take control' of our 'worried soul(s)' and acknowledge that feelings are temporary and fleeting… ‘this is how it is for now’.
‘(The world) Outside My Door’ is by far the standout track on the album for me, maybe even overtaking my all-time favourite, ‘Bruises’. Reflecting on the feeling of not doing or being enough, the track is a beautiful note to end the album on and the lyrics ‘The world is gathered outside of my door // And they’re telling me I have to do more’ conjure up a feeling all too familiar. In this age of ‘the world’ being so accessible through our phones, it’s so easy to compare yourself and feel not good enough.
‘Make Time for Change’ is a rumination on self-love and seems to go hand-in-hand with ‘(The world) Outside My Door’, going into the changes mused on in more depth. It’smessage provides hope for a lost generation, reminding us that we ‘reap the benefit’ of whatever we sow.
10/10
