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Imagine if you will, a band made up of two sets of siblings, hailing from Britain, sounding like a modern day Mamas & the Papas with a little Belle & Sebastian thrown in for good measure.
You’d be speaking of The Magic Numbers and their debut album – our feature on today’s I Own That CD! segment.
After forming in 2002 and touring locally in London, the band gained a small cult following (including artists like The Chemical Brothers, Travis and Ed Harcourt). Released in 2005, The Magic Numbers was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize (an annual prize awarded for the best album released in the UK by a British or Irish act) - it lost to Anthony and the Johnsons.
It’s easy to like this band and this album. It’s updated 1960s folk-pop. And while critics (Pitchfork) labeled them AAA (Adult Album Alternative) and looped them in with Dave Matthews Band, Train and Matchbox 20, there’s better songwriting and catchier melodies from the Numbers.
The songwriting touches on the general themes we hear in man songs (love, childhood, etc) but the strength lies in the vocals. Romeo Stodart’s (lead singer, songwriter and producer) vocals glide easily over each song and combined with the rest of the band, brings a sunny disposition to each track. There’s no “California Dreamin’” here but songs like “Forever Lost” and “I See You, You See Me” are accessible and catchy.
Sadly, the hype that they had in the UK never translated here (like so many bands from Britain – Suede, Franz Ferdinand) and while The Magic Numbers are still kicking around, producing new material as recent as 2018.
So take a listen on your favorite music streaming service – or if you’ve got a CD player, you can borrow my copy.
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