Back in May, when The Great Escape festival was taking over The Magic Gang’s adopted hometown of Brighton, the easygoing four-piece sat in their front room and warned NME not to assume we knew where their sound was heading after debut single ‘No Fun’.
“By the time we’d put that out, we’d written a new set of songs that have a different sound,” explained guitarist and singer Kristian Smith. “People have judged us by this single, but we don’t sound like that anymore, which is fine because it’ll keep people guessing.”
Enter ‘Jasmine’, the first track to be taken from the band’s forthcoming self-titled EP, due out in January. Where ‘No Fun’ ducked and dived through buoyant riffs and rumbling bass, this is something more swooning and starry-eyed. “Jasmine, it’s true/I waited here for you/Without this heart of mine you’ll be doing fine,” sighs singer and guitarist Jack Kaye as a trumpet-like guitar line lingers mournfully underneath. It’s the kind of song that makes you feel sad, but warm at the same time; shuffling, sensitive indie-pop that’s full of heart and lighters-in-the-air atmosphere.
In May, the band promised the EP would be “very direct, very sexy and very good.” There’s a swaying, classic kind of immediacy to ‘Jasmine’ that suggests they’re not far off the mark.
‘The Magic Gang’ EP is released on January 8 via Telharmonium Records. Catch The Magic Gang at the following dates next month:
Brighton Hope & Ruin (December 2)
Southampton Joiners (3)
Oxford The Cellar (4)
Bristol Louisiana (5)
Birmingham Sunflower Lounge (7)
Liverpool Studio 2 (8)
Manchester Sound Control (9)
Sheffield Bungalows & Bears (10)
Newcastle Think Tank (12)
Glasgow King Tuts (13)
Leeds Brudenell Social Club (14)
London The Lexington (15)