Mrs Magician - B Sides LP - Murky Clear Vinyl

Mrs Magician - B Sides LP - Murky Clear Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Thrill Me (2013)

I''ve made it no secret that Strange Heaven by Mrs. Magician was my absolute favorite record of last year and I've gone so far as to say it's probably the best record I've heard in the past 5 years or so. I have played it so many times, and each time, I love it just a bit more. While the band is working on their new full length, they decided to clear house of some old tunes and put out this B Sides LP.

The name is a bit misleading, I think, but not in a bad way. There's really only 2 songs on this record that were ever released before. "Fool's Paradise" from a picture disc 7" and "Dispicable Things" from their tour split with The Night Marchers. Everything else on this record is previously unreleased (well, I suppose some may be on compilations that I don't have or know about).

From what I gather several songs from here were songs that were originally intended for Mrs. Magician's debut full length Pity Party Animal. That record was eventually scrapped and Strange Heaven came out in its place, but the songs on B Sides show a glimpse of what may have been.

In general, the songs on this LP are not quite as polished as what's on Strange Heaven; you can tell the Swami sheen isn't as bright and noticeable. But this band writes some simply amazing songs. "Tabloids" is a mid paced ode to a falling socialite. "Get Bent" ups the speed and has one of the band's trademark bouncy choruses and "I Hate Tour" spins the tale of a bummer of a trip to El Paso. You are not going to find better lyrics than you will on a Mrs. Magician record. It's just that perfect balance of self deprecating wit and wisdom.

Once again, Mrs. Magician have put out an essential album. It's not as quite good as Strange Heaven, so few things out there could be, but it's a fantastic record in its own right and absolutely one worth grabbing.

Mrs Magician - B Sides LP:
mrsmagician.bandcamp.com/album/b-sides