The Magic Numbers (self titled)

(Heavenly Recordings/EMI Records)

Recently appearing on the last Chemical Brothers album Push the Button, The Magic Numbers quickly became Ed Simons’ (of the Chemical Brothers) favourite new band, and found a home with Heavenly Recordings (also friends and former stomping grounds of The Chemicals). What the Chemicals loved most about The Magic Numbers was the harmony between the two pairs of brother and sister making up the band. Songwriter Romeo Stodart met drummer Sean Gannon, and Romeo recruited sister Michele to play bass and sing back up, as did Sean recruit sister Angela to provide percussion and vocals. As the magic happened, these four musicians discovered perfect vocal harmony with each other in a similar vein to the Mamas and the Papas, or even more close to home, dare I say The Rheostatics without any chicks? Musically similar to The Flaming Lips, The Magic Numbers’ debut is quite retro ’60s and ’70s rock revival, with brilliant lyrics and sweet vocal serendipity that could some day prove almost as precious as the likes of Van Morrison, Bob Dylan and Fleetwood Mac. —RN