Magnet - The Tourniquet

Music and marriage are pretty much the only places where opposites can merge, find harmony, and become something greater than their separate parts. Today, many people are finding that they can go at it better alone, and they've got a distinct sound too. Even Johansen, better known as Magnet, comes replete with his bipolar north and south, and, thanks to the miracles of studio production, is pretty good backing himself up. The Tourniquet, his new CD, is a folksy alternative blend that goes too slow to ever be mistaken for pop, even though the beats are catchy and the choruses repeatable (even if Johansen's falsetto isn't). And while Magnet may not have much of a band (there are a few guests on every track), playing enough other instruments and programming them slickly together in post-production still makes for a diverse arrangement on each of the ten tracks. It's all background for Johansen's lyrics; even the progressive chords ultimately downshift into a new rhythm to elevate the chorus. But background's important for setting the mood, and whether it's the sharp staccato piano of "Believe" or the submerged jazz of "All You Ask," it's easy to be attracted to Magnet. [www.homeofmagnet.com]