Review Summary: [i]Rock and roll is here to stay[/i]
WARNING: Seven out of the nine songs on this album are less than 3 minutes long. If you are a typical Sputnik user that listens to bands like Opeth, Explosions in the Sky and Jane Doe, this album may be too happy for you to listen to. Furthermore, this is a pop album (hence the name of the band) and is to be approached with caution. One final thing – there is a song called Complicated on this album. It refers to complicated relationships, and not to complicated song structures. You will have to seek the latter elsewhere.
You probably haven’t heard of Magnapop. Hundreds of alternative bands from 90s went by generally unnoticed, forming a niche following at best. Magnapop is one of those bands, unable to excite the general public as much as the likes of Nirvana and Weezer did. Of course, this does not mean that they should be overlooked by the modern listener. On the contrary, Magnapop is one of the more interesting bands in the genre, and their debut is definitely worth a listen
Linda Hopper gives this album its individuality with her unusual, daring voice, filled with her passion for life and all that is alive. She’s
in the mood for living after all. While being a tad repetitive, her voice is distinct enough to warrant the lack of redundancy that this album possesses. She is also one of Magnapop’s main songwriters/lyricists, along with guitarist Ruthie Morris. The lyrics range from emotional (
A candle shows the lack of what I need…), to inspirational (
Live for freedom/Not for struggle), to quite puzzling (
Loud noise hear it could be searing/Distant at all times).
The rest of the band does an admirable job also. The drumming may be simple, but it isn’t focused upon, and proves to be effective in maintaining the upbeat and cheerful mood of the album. The guitar work is typical to the pop punk genre, and provides a foundation for Linda to build her vocal melodies upon. However, the album is very lyric focused, so the other instruments are largely overshadowed for the whole duration of the album.
Even if you’re not into pop punk or alternative, this album is certainly worth a listen. What Magnapop have created here is a small collection of upbeat, easy to listen to songs, some of which happen to be addictive and fun. And when this album
starts to start, it will never stop!
Highlights:
Linda Hopper’s vocals
Garden, Guess, Favourite Writer and Merry
Low Points:
The drumming and guitar playing sounds overly similar in most songs
Ear, which includes a grand total of 4 lines of lyrics, repeated over and over throughout it
The album’s very short length
