Album: “Those the Brokes”

Description

One of 2006's pleasant surprises was the Magic Numbers' sweeter-than-sugar self-titled debut. The album, with its Cowsills-meets-Belle-and-Sebastian recipe, definitely provided a sonic blanket in troubled times. After all, what's cozier than a family band? Belle and Sebastian's twee had a barbed storytelling in the la-las, but at the core of the Magic Numbers hummability were two sets of brothers and sisters holding hands. This is in no way a bad thing; THE MAGIC NUMBERS was perfectly light on its feet, and it was nice for indie rockers to have something cynicism-free to love. <p>THOSE THE BROKES (2007) builds on the successes of its predecessor and beats the sophomore slump by simultaneously staying true and adding depth to the band's original blueprint. The production--courtesy of British vet Richard Wilkinson--has grown deeper, the string orchestrations are impressive, and the band plays with more energy and feel than on their debut. Songs such as "Undecided" and "Let Someday In" even have a hint of blue-eyed soul. Indeed, with the burgeoning success of other twee acts like Tilly and the Wall and Oh No! Oh My!, the Magic Numbers sound almost like elder statesmen on THOSE THE BROKES--a great record that fans of the first would be wise to purchase.