Review Summary: Energetic but lush, spirited but melancholy, Magyar Posse represent Finland well with a post-rock album that draws from Jaga Jazzist, A Silver Mt. Zion, and The Mars Volta at the same time.
I have searched endlessly for a band that captures the same essence as Jaga Jazzist’s
What We Must, an album that combined rock, jazz, and electronica in a way I’d never heard before in my life. My searches have been fruitless, discovering small traces of their sound but no one that even came close to attempting it in full, which, in a way, is a good thing. Why listen to a replica? I came across a few enjoyable bands, most of which embraced the jazz side of the music, notably The Cinematic Orchestra and Skalpel. Recently, I uncovered a band who hardly use the same instruments as Jaga, use completely different songwriting techniques, and still put out the same energy and feel as the aforementioned classic album. Magyar Posse’s
Random Avenger produces this sought after greatness as a 6-piece, the only non-conventional rock instrument being a violin. The rest is a flourish of guitar, bass, keyboards, and group vocals.
The group vocals stand out as the most original aspect of their music at first. In a style similar to A Silver Mt. Zion, they make great use of harmonized, wordless vocals. Opening track “Whirlpool of Terror and Tension” shows the vocals playing a huge role in the song, singing the base rhythm for the song. At other times on the album, they sing melodies, bring chordal accompaniment, add power to a bassline, and much more. They use the vocals to bring power to whatever needs it at the time, demonstrating their ability to determine what needs to be prominent and when. The musicality of the group as individual musicians and as a collective whole is outstanding. There is a group dynamic present that goes beyond good studio production, although especially on this album it helps. On a song like “Sudden Death” or “European Lover/Random Avenger”, where it seems the group cannot get any busier and suddenly, a louder, bigger, better climax bursts forth, it seems the group can do no wrong. Then it all comes back down, forming a new idea and building itself back up from the ground up. In “Sudden Death”, the switch from the rhythmic, uptempo first half to the lyrical, broad section with weeping, sonorous violin floating easily on top of everything is great, but at the end, when the two ideas converge and become one, that is where Magyar Posse stands above their contemporaries.
As if the group dynamic and the broader picture of
Random Avenger were not enough, looking deeper into the album finds brilliantly written songs at their core. Often times, the band uses obscure time signatures like 5/8 and 7/8, and often times switching the feel every few measures between these different obscure meters just to make things more complicated. Yet it feels perfectly natural, which makes the album a smooth listen as well as an engaging one, depending on what you are looking for at the time. It combines the complexity and engaging style of The Mars Volta with the smoothness of Jaga Jazzist. “Intercontinental Hustle” exemplifies the band’s uptempo, vigorous style while tracks “One by One” and “Black Procession” bring a lyrical, subdued style to the table. The only major flaw is that the band never explores anything between these two styles except for a moment in passing during builds. The band can flat out rock, or the band can sweetly croon, especially with that fantastic violinist. Still, looking at other post-rock bands, two faces are better than one, and the songwriting proves so strong that it is only after many listens that it becomes apparent.
Magyar Posse takes influence from many and varied post rock bands, some influences blatant while others more subtle, and blends it all into a certain unique and enjoyable sound. It grows much like typical post rock would but with a invigorated sound where instead of waiting for a few great climaxes, each moment is a great listen.
