The Magic Numbers

My latest CD is the first release (June 2005) of the British band The Magic Numbers. This group is comprised of two pairs of brother-sister duos who have a brand of music that has a sort of 60s feel to me. I'm not sure who to compare them to, but when I first looked at a picture of them that impression was solidified.
Romeo Stoddart (29) and his sister Michelle (23) met their other half when they moved back to the UK from Trinidad and befriended their neighbors, the Gannons, in a London suburb. Romeo was 16 and Michelle was 10. Sean Gannon (30) and Angela (21) shared their love of music. Inspired by classic songwriting of any genre, Sean and Romeo started the group and later persuaded their sisters to join. They've been going nonstop ever since.
On their website you can listen to all their songs from their first album (the one I bought), though the spot on the website that tells the name of the song never changes... though each song IS played in the order of the track listing on the CD. Their latest album (November 2006) is Those the Brokes, but I haven't picked that one up yet. As with any new CD I often hear the first few songs over and over again because that tends to be where I start when I put a CD in.... and so I've heard the beginning tracks the most. Of course with any musical group, upon first listen, many of the songs begin to run together and a single sound emerges. Therefore, I'm finding it hard to single out a favorite tune. I do love "Mornings Eleven." (first track, go figure) but I know that there isn't a song on the cd that I am eager to push past.


After looking at the lyrics to Mornings Eleven, though I will admit I never really paid attention to what they were singing about and I"m still not sure I "get it" ... but I will admit I didn't realize the first line was "You're in Denial, You're in Denial."

In the second track, "Forever Lost" when he starts with "Darling," I have a moment of "In the Flesh" Blondie flashback... of course that's where the similarities end.

"The Mule" has a great intro and I like the sound of this song. But the words are pretty decent too. It's about a break-up and I suppose the stubborness like that of a mule.

In "Long Legs" the song starts with a sound of a record player needle, I LOVE that sound. This one sounds like some kind of modern Irish music, like the Electrics or like the Mighty Mighty Bosstones from the 90s.

"Love Me Like You Do" reminds me of the sixties, maybe some group like the Beach Boys only I like the Magic Numbers much better.

"Which Way to Be Happy" has a bit of a Jack Johnson feel to it... sort of. I do love the line about halfway through the song "God, can you hear me?"

Okay, maybe track 7 is my favorite song on the disc: "I See You, You See Me" Just listen to it. I love it. LOVE it.

"Don't Give Up the Fight" sounds like a typical Top 40 hit when it starts. It's nice, nothing special to me... I sort of feel the same about track 11, "Love's a Game"

The guitar strumming on the intro of "This Love" gives it a unique sound on the album. The breathy male vocals is reminiscent of Bright Eyes which I also tend to like, but I think there's something easier about this group to listen to again and again without getting tired of it.

I'm not sure I understand the significance of the title of "Wheels on Fire" but I do like the sound of this song. Like nearly every song on this disc it has to do with relationships and breaking up but I love the tension in the song and the paired male and female voices.

"Try" is the last official song on the disc, but there is a bonus track not played on the website called "Hymn for Her" and this is the longest song on the disc at 6:15. In all the songs on this disc ARE pretty mellow. Yet, they are nice, even when singing about the devastation of the heart.

--Kate