This Is Fake DIY / Reviews: Magic Kids - Memphis
"This summery, instrument-rich record almost manages to out Beach Boy the Beach Boys themselves."
August 20, 2010
Garage punks scrub up quite nicely, thank you
Memphis sextet Magic Kids started out in the midst of the city’s celebrated garage-punk scene, but you’d hardly know it on the basis of this airheaded and obsessively nice-ified debut album. They do airheaded and nice to a tee, mind: ‘Hey Boy’, 2009’s hype-accruing debut single, is about as good as polka-dot cupcake indie is gonna get in 2010, sounding like either Grandaddy timewarped into C86, or a shame-free Beach Boys homage. This latter element is returned to more than once across the album’s duration (29 minutes and outtahere), with songs such as ‘Skateland’ benefitting from micro-orchestral flourishes and simple, careful production.
Noel Gardner
Click here to get your copy of Magic Kids' 'Memphis' from the Rough Trade shop.
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"This summery, instrument-rich record almost manages to out Beach Boy the Beach Boys themselves."
"This summery, instrument-rich record almost manages to out Beach Boy the Beach Boys themselves."
"This summery, instrument-rich record almost manages to out Beach Boy the Beach Boys themselves."
"Tennessee pop sprites prove more than just Beach Boys copyists."
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