Those who don't like bands that rely on ostentation are in the right place with The Magic Numbers. 'The ugliest band in England', headlined the Volkskrant, and they can do it with that. A bit silly though, because of the long hair, beards and the stocky build of some of the four members, especially to write about this. The Magic Numbers consists of two couples of a brother and sister, Romeo and
… Michele Stodart and Angela and Sean Gannon. You could call the music on their self-titled debut album 'old-fashioned', with the obvious influences of sixties West coast pop, soul and folk rock in the sunny songs with three-part vocals (only drummer Sean doesn't sing). The beautiful harmonies are the strongest point of the band, but also because of the use of, for example, a melodica and banjo, or if you need to swing a little more tambourine and handclaps, The Magic Numbers gets a nice sound of its own. The positive feeling that The Magic Numbers radiate makes this CD worth listening to. (IV)more
