Apart from a few exceptions, I'm not an enthusiastic fan of club indie. So what is it about Magic Wands that is so alluring? Well, I'll tell you, because this is a review and I have to.
On my first listen, Magic Wands were teeth gratingly bad. Hell, even before that I took a look at the album title and recoiled and twitched. Magic, Love and Dreams sounds like a Californian self help programme or a cult on Valium. The corny Phil Collins disco drum pads and the hormone induced subject matter; everything about them seemed cheap, shallow and manufactured. But sometimes my guard against marketed music can be overzealous. It's only fair to give every band a chance and, lo' and behold, my opinion changed weeks later.
Described as 'slick and sexy' and 'dreamy pop', behind the glam and glitz are just two kids, Chris and Dexy, and their relationship founded on poetry, art and music - and (cough) myspace. This artistic/romantic bond is what gives their record its vitality and energy. They often sing in unison (used to effect on the track Starships), their image is handmade, moody and mysterious. Watch their music videos and you'll see what I mean.
The duo are at their best on tracks like Black Magic and Warrior. These catchy, swirling, upbeat electro-shakers are their two defining releases. In Kiss Me Dead, a guitar hook ignites a beautiful tragedy, but misses poignancy by inches, which is frustrating. Teenage Love is their worst. Stay away from it. This one attempts to be naughty and sensual - "Meet me down by the soda machine / show me now what our love means" - but fails miserably, like receiving a come on from a barely legal hooker. Thanks, but NO THANKS.
I think I like Magic Wands because, like most of my generation, I haven't really grown up. Their audience is one that refuses to charge forward into adulthood. I still like eating sweets, drinking coke and watching John Hughes films but what I've learned, in response to my insecure teenage years, is to glorify honest expression and to champion the freaky and weird. Spooky and minutely dangerous, Magic Wands set scenes of stone circles, candle light and kinky clubs. All your wiccan-geek friends may love it, but you might also be caught in its spell.
(© Copyright 2009 Brendan Morgan)
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