A year ago today, this happened:
Sample the album for this review but, know that this is a guaranteed buy! And always get it on vinyl!
Those who have been long time Mag Bay fans will always have something to look forward to with each release.
If you know, you know so, I'm just going to get right into this album.
*hits play*
At a first listen, I had a mild time getting into the first track, trying to understand their approach to starting the album with "She Looks Like Me", which Mica Tenenbaum has said, lyrically:
"I think it’s probably one of the most serious songs we’ve ever written."
By design it's clunky and noisy. Her vocal arrangement throughout keeps the song grounded, especially in parts where the music seems detached. I don't hate it, it's just something to get used to.
The chaos is short-lived with "Killing Time" which goes straight for their signature pop style, reassuring fans that this is definitely a Mag Bay album.
Everything I've heard up to Imaginal Disk has guarantees that the vapor wave / mall soft, pop that drew me to them would be here and just as I am thinking that, "True Blue Interlude" drops me right into the liminal spaces of the fucking food court!
As the first single off of this album, we see why it hits in classic Mag Bay fashion!
When we get to "Image", it's the moment I've been waiting for.
Mag Bay has also hooked me with their style of pop. Mica's melodies are one-of-a-kind and Matt Lewin knows how to accompany it with his music perfectly.
I can't imagine what the process was like to get this song right because when it hits, it hits good. It proves, again, why they're one of my faves.
I'm in that food court, I'm danc'n.
Eli Raybon will have something to add about why "Impact" is such as stand out, as you read further along.
When it comes to this duo, talking about their music videos is unavoidable.
Mica has always looked hot in them but for "Image", there's just something about that outfit and make-up that makes her kindle with coolness.
As these videos are shown in order of their release, "Image" is followed by "Death & Romance" and watching them together, it looks like the album is conceptual. They made it clear that it only seems that way:
"I would say it’s like a loose concept album. It’s not like a Tommy situation where the songs outline the story. I think there are themes throughout the album, but I feel that’s the same with Mercurial World. It’s conceptual but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a concept album." - Matt
At this point in Imaginal Disk, I'm trying to pin down who this album reminds me of and then it finally hits me.
It's Ethereal and the Queer Show!
That was another duo who did this kind of sound looong before Mag Bay, but that's just me.
Zoe Dune
Things are going well and I'm digging the album but nothing has hit me as well since "Death & Romance", even though it's all quite glorious.
At times, it gets too operatically over-the-top as it does with "Watching TV", but sometimes, doing something so mundane can in fact get dramatic and so someone has to capture that.
"Tunnel Vision" picks up the energy I need. There's a little R&B in Mica's vocals and Matt's music. Maybe there's a gospel style in there too. At times, it gives me iamamiwhoami vibes cause I felt the presence of Jonna Lee in there somewhere.
"Love is Everywhere" is FUNky, smooth, warbly-goodness. Makes me think about the influences behind this release.
"I think it was just a shift in what we were listening to at the time. We reverted to a lot of what we listened to when we were in high school when we first met, which is a lot of classic rock, ’70s prog-rock, Radiohead... the wave we were on while we were writing Imaginal Disk was very different and I’m sure that made its way into the music. It also ended up being that a lot of the songs required live drums rather than electronic programming, and I think that helped a lot to shape the sound of the record and push it in a different direction." - Matt
The post-psychedelic duo talk more about their influences extensively, most which seem to have made it to this album.
"That's My Floor" displays the rockiest parts of the album but it's the bassline and hot n sweaty disco of "Cry For Me" that makes me want to do really, really bad things. It's so good that it's better than it needs to be and, as I'm thinking that, they do a fade out transition into the next song!? Who do you think you are!
Oh, yeah... you're Magdalena Bay.
Because I didn't say much about "That's My Floor", here's what Eli Raybon said about it, to add to my response to "Image" from before via this Facebook post.
"The Ballad of Matt and Mica" closes out the album in a proclamation of unity for the two, who have grown up since kids, fused by the strongest bond as life, love and business partners.
The messaging isn't really about anything. The premise is about some alien named True or some shit like that, but it doesn't matter. All that weird stuff if just a McGuffin for an album full of great Magdalena Bay music.
So, this album fucking soars and should put every listener with a bad disposition in a good mood.
Also, they're gonna be here soon!
We going or what?
Long time or new Magdalena Bay fan?
Leave your thoughts on this album in the comments!