Swami (2016)
I have been waiting for this record for a very, very long time. My expectations were set so unrealistically high, it would not have been difficult for Mrs. Magician to let me down with Bermuda. Despite the fact that they were trying to follow up my favorite record of the past ten years, Mrs. Magician still knocked it out of the park and delivered an instant classic of a second album.
Sure, if pressed I'll say that I don't like this album as much as I like their prior, Strange Heaven. But I also don't like Scream Dracula Scream as much as I like Circa: Now. That doesn't mean Scream isn't a ridiculously amazing record, it just means Circa is one of those transcendent classics. I feel similarly with the two Mrs. Magician albums. I can't fathom a time in the future where I won't think Strange Heaven is one of the best album's I have ever heard in my entire life, but Bermuda is so, so great in its own right.
The album starts out with the blazing surfed up lead guitar of "Phantoms." It immediately draws you in and gets you ready for the ride ahead. After that it's just hit after hit of dark pop perfection. One of the things I love about Mrs. Magician is how incredible the lyrics are and their ability to paint a picture in my head. This ability is on display again on Bermuda. Just fire up my favorite song on the album, "Tear Drops." "Life sucks/Tough shit/You wanna get real/get used to it/whoa-whoa-oh-oh." And then that sets the stage for the biggest hook on the album and maybe one of the most powerful choruses in the band's entire catalog.
To list off all of the great songs on this album you would essentially just have to reprint the tracklist. I will give special mention to the closing three songs on the album as they are so unbelievably good it just makes me angry the album is over. Let's also point out another batch of killer lyrics on "No More Tears." "Gonna set my, my alarm clock/just to tell my boss to fuck off." Goddamn that's great stuff and Bermuda is just packed to the gills with genius like this.
Hands down, far and away, this is the best record I have heard so far in 2016. I cannot possibly recommend it highly enough. While I absolutely think Bermuda was worth the four year wait since Strange Heaven, these guys better not take that long again for album number three. Also, don't break up again. I'll freak out. Lastly, I just saw Mrs. Magician this past weekend when they came through town. They were beyond description and you are a fool if you don't see them if they play by you. Go buy this record now.
Mrs. Magician - Bermuda:
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