Magnet - On Your Side

I don’t even know how many times I’ve listened to this album at this point – Maybe 8 or 9 times this week. That alone would seem to tell me, “You just found a favorite album for the summer!” But I can’t help feeling hesitant. The more I listen, the more I feel like this album is almost too good, too polished, too… something. On Your Side is a beautiful album; there is no doubt about that. But it’s beautiful in all the same ways that Kent, Radiohead, Bjork or a whole host of Northern European groups who make the beautifully pristine and beautifully melodic music are. There must be something about the North Sea that could inspire people like Evan Johansen to write, play, and produce this kind of music. I have trouble picking out a favorite track. From a subtle rework of Dylan’s “Lay Lady Lay” (with Gemma Hayes) to the quiet remorseful lyrics of “Everything’s Perfect,” there isn’t much to dislike. It’s the type of album that just fills a room. The cynic in me would even cite this as a fault for Magnet, but I can’t. It would be foolish of me to truly object to an album like this. So while this isn’t the new trendy hit from some soon to be forgot new movement in music, I can almost guarantee a spot on all my future play lists and mix tapes for a song from this album. [www.homeofmagnet.com]