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Product details
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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Pulse | |||
| 2. Hurt So Good | |||
| 3. Why Did You Call? | |||
| 4. Once I Had | |||
| 5. A Start With No Ending | |||
| 6. Throwing My Heart Away | |||
| 7. Restless River | |||
| 8. Only Seventeen | |||
| 9. Sound Of Something | |||
| 10. The Song That No One Knows | |||
See all 12 tracks on this disc
| |||
| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Hurt So Good (Live at Wilton's Music Hall) | |||
| 2. Why Did You Call? (Live at Wilton's Music Hall) | |||
| 3. Restless River (Live at Wilton's Music Hall) | |||
| 4. Dreams Of A Revelation (Live at Wilton's Music Hall) | |||
Product Description
Review
When The Magic Numbers first emerged five years ago with an eponymous debut LP, their uplifting West Coast harmonies couldn't hide hints of hidden troubles. This, their third album, continues the darker themes of 2006's Those the Brokes, while being careful not to lose the tunes. On the inlay, the iconic cartoons of their early days have given way to monochrome photos. Cartoons never age. Perhaps The Magic Numbers have decided they want to grow up a bit.
Main singer/songwriter Romeo Stodart takes lead vocals on most songs, his voice strung with romanticism. This is especially evident on album opener, The Pulse, a brave lament based around a simple hook. Drenched in orchestration, it's a strong calling card. Hurt So Good is reminiscent of 70s Fleetwood Mac, with gentle, churchlike backing vocals tiptoeing as if afraid to wake anyone up. The brisk folk of Why Did You Call? follows, while Angela Gannon takes the lead vocal on the elegant Throwing My Heart Away, which echoes Prefab Sprout at their most subtle.
The Magic Numbers earned initial success through constant gigging. In the studio however, particularly on their eponymous debut, they often failed to fully harness the strength of their songs. This time, frequent Björk producer Valgeir Sigurðsson perfectly captures the bleaker mood. That said, The Song That No One Knows lopes like a hot summer afternoon; you can almost hear the gentle interplay of waves and lazily-opened beer bottles.
The baroque, Nick Drake folk of Restless River serves as an extended introduction to the biographical Only Seventeen. It's a lyrical highlight, but also a bit of an anomaly. The band's weakness is an unfortunate tendency to drift occasionally into MOR territory, and sometimes generic boy-meets-girl lyrics fail to keep the arrangements above water.
The aptly named A Start With No Ending plods like filler always does, and the album loses momentum towards the end, as mid-tempo lethargy drifts in. It's a shame that the quality gets lost in the quantity. Although Runaway is a fine part of their evolution, perhaps The Magic Numbers need to establish a sense of identity beyond generalised adventures in love.
--Tom HocknellFind more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Product Description
LIMITED EDITION : 2CD set. New 2010 album, with a BONUS 4-track live disc recorded at Wilton's Music Hall in London! Harmonic pop 'n' golden guitar rock from the brothers 'n' sisters outfit outta the UK. Includes "The Pulse".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Once again the Magic Numbers have offered a good package in the Runaway. A few of the tracks somehow seem to lack that vital spark whatever that may be, hence only the four stars, but, on the whole the vast majority hit the spot. Definte highspots on the album are "Throwing my Heart Away, Only Seventeen, Sound of Something I'm Sorry and The Song that No One Knows. This is one of those albums that is gradually grows on you after several playings, with more tracks are making themselves appreciated over time.
The Runaway is certainly every bit as good as the Magic Number's first two offerings, "The Magic Numbers" and "Those the Brokes".
Gr8 stuff!!
The Runaway is certainly every bit as good as the Magic Number's first two offerings, "The Magic Numbers" and "Those the Brokes".
Gr8 stuff!!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
My girlfriend has been a big fan of The Magic Numbers since their debut. Both their first two albums have enjoyed heavy rotation in our house, and while I've always enjoyed their sunny 60s West Coast sound (especially the bass playing, which is always brilliantly Monkees-esque and always brings a smile to my face), I've never been a huge fan of this band. Until this album.
The Runaway really is a different kettle of fish, exactly what a third album should be. It's still pop, but a much maturer, more accomplished and more 'complete' representation of it. I can see why fans of the earlier material are not so keen on this (indeed, it's me, and not my girlfriend, who puts this album on). It's a 'listener's' record, one that requires you to put the time in and let the subtleties and complexities reveal themselves. It's not immediate as their earlier material, but it really is rewarding. Blending the timelessness of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac with the harmonic experimentation of Sunflower-era Beach Boys, The Runaway also adds a darker, more world-weary aspect to The Numbers' sound, which is really well complemented by the string arrangements of Robert Kirby (the man who scored Nick Drake's first two albums) and the additional production inventiveness of Bjork collborator Valgeir Siguršsson.
For me, the opener, and first single, The Pulse, is the album's weakest link, but I really admire the band for staking the album's claim on it. And it just gets better and better from there really, from the fuzzy complexities of Once I Had to the melancholic jubilation of Dreams of a Revalation. The boy-meets-girl-meets-heartbreak themes are still central lyrically, and the hooks and structures are still captivating and finely-crafted, but there's a depth and variation that really makes The Runaway special. One thing that really impresses me, for an album that's so richly produced, is that the many aural tricks and layers aren't there to mask weak or unfinished material, but simple serve to strengthen and highlight it. Underneath, you can still hear that this is a tight band who love playing and singing together. No mean feat in today's Pro-Tools recording environments. A couple of little issues irk me, not least the synthetic drums in Hurt So Good, but overall this is one of the best-produced albums I've heard in ages. A real headphone album, if you know what I mean.
I'd definitely recommend this album for anyone who's enjoyed The Magic Numbers sound from afar, but have felt that they are a bit too lightweight to offer any real substance. A future classic, certainly for me at least.
The Runaway really is a different kettle of fish, exactly what a third album should be. It's still pop, but a much maturer, more accomplished and more 'complete' representation of it. I can see why fans of the earlier material are not so keen on this (indeed, it's me, and not my girlfriend, who puts this album on). It's a 'listener's' record, one that requires you to put the time in and let the subtleties and complexities reveal themselves. It's not immediate as their earlier material, but it really is rewarding. Blending the timelessness of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac with the harmonic experimentation of Sunflower-era Beach Boys, The Runaway also adds a darker, more world-weary aspect to The Numbers' sound, which is really well complemented by the string arrangements of Robert Kirby (the man who scored Nick Drake's first two albums) and the additional production inventiveness of Bjork collborator Valgeir Siguršsson.
For me, the opener, and first single, The Pulse, is the album's weakest link, but I really admire the band for staking the album's claim on it. And it just gets better and better from there really, from the fuzzy complexities of Once I Had to the melancholic jubilation of Dreams of a Revalation. The boy-meets-girl-meets-heartbreak themes are still central lyrically, and the hooks and structures are still captivating and finely-crafted, but there's a depth and variation that really makes The Runaway special. One thing that really impresses me, for an album that's so richly produced, is that the many aural tricks and layers aren't there to mask weak or unfinished material, but simple serve to strengthen and highlight it. Underneath, you can still hear that this is a tight band who love playing and singing together. No mean feat in today's Pro-Tools recording environments. A couple of little issues irk me, not least the synthetic drums in Hurt So Good, but overall this is one of the best-produced albums I've heard in ages. A real headphone album, if you know what I mean.
I'd definitely recommend this album for anyone who's enjoyed The Magic Numbers sound from afar, but have felt that they are a bit too lightweight to offer any real substance. A future classic, certainly for me at least.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I wanted to like this, I really did! I feel a certain empathy for these guys. They seem to try hard. Saw them live in Dublin a handful of years ago. They were reasonable. However, I am sorry to say that this simply is not inspiring. It is rather dry and monotonous. Hard to get excited about. It is listen-to-able, but that is about it.
Only for hard core fans, I'd say.
Only for hard core fans, I'd say.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Put in the effort and it's dark beauty reveals itself
I would speculate The Magic Numbers knew they stood to lose a significant portion of their audience by changing up their sound, so kudos to them for doing it anyway. Read more
Published 17 months ago by J. Jenkins
Better Than 'Those The Brokes'!...
I haven't been as disappointed about an album as i was by The Magic Numbers second effort 'Those The Brokes'. Read more
Published 20 months ago by J. Willis
so good it hurt
got to be the best one so far. all 12 songs are the tops .Romeo stodart is the new paddy McAloon (prefab spout)
Published 22 months ago by baz boz
this will be the album of the year beware these guys are just...
what more can you say at last 4 proper talented original musicians , this hopefully will be pure class like there first 2 albums.
Published on 2 May 2010 by Mrcs Mutch
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