Best Ever Albums

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

KitchenSink — Sat, 29 May 2021 19:30:06 GMT

Author: KitchenSink

Posted: 05/29/2021 23:30

it's good! I liked this album when it came out and I like it now. don't disagree with comments that it's derivative but luckily I don't think that necessarily amounts to it being disposable. production is not passable, instrumentation is engaging if not particularly groundbreaking, the primary draw imo is Charles herself, who definitely has a certain presence (as well as a very intriguing almost kind of ear candy of pronouncing certain words that I can't quite put my finger on) that elevates the album from merely competent to genuinely fun and emotionally resonant. can't say I'll be going back to it a whole lot as a whole but I've found myself jumping back to key songs throughout the year, it's a lovely comfort food kind of album imo even if I'm not sure I'll be listening to any of it years from now

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

RoundTheBend — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 22:57:34 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 03/22/2021 02:57

Am I the only one who finds the eponymous track the lowest point? Which is odd, usually an artist has the eponymous track as the best one...

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

baystateoftheart — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 22:53:28 GMT

Author: baystateoftheart

Posted: 03/22/2021 02:53

Listened while I was cooking, so didn't have my full attention. But I can say this is a smooth album with lush production, and I definitely enjoy it. The first track is great, and Magic Mirror doesn't reach those highs again, but there are a bunch of fun moments and it all goes down easy.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

Repo — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 22:20:34 GMT

Author: Repo

Posted: 03/22/2021 02:20

Gowi wrote:

“She’s a little bit country, I’m a little bit Hall & Oates and ABBA” is the best way I could describe this album in a meme but you know, it really does work. Glad a lot of people are having some mileage with this one.

lol. Totally. Great choice, Gowi. Both my girlfriend and I love it. 😁

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

kokkinos — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 05:57:30 GMT

Author: kokkinos

Posted: 03/21/2021 09:57

Kinda late to the bandwagon with this one, still I'm glad I had the pleasure of listening to it, I doubt I would have done so outside this listening club.
Maybe not the most challenging album, or one I'll be thinking about for a long time, but it is so irresistibly enjoyable, almost like a guilty pleasure.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

musicoed — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 22:03:19 GMT

Author: musicoed

Posted: 03/21/2021 02:03

.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

dihansse — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 17:01:43 GMT

Author: dihansse

Posted: 03/20/2021 21:01

Gowi wrote:

dihansse wrote:

I remember I listened to the first two songs when the album was released and then stopped.

Now listening to it again and at first sight this is a complete ABBA rip off in the first track and very Carpenters in most of the others. And Idk but I even got a bit of a Dr. Hook vibe on some of the tracks.

It all sounds very derivative and lacks the genious of the quoted bands, but it was great fun to listen to this bunch of songs because it does bring you back to the seventies.
For the moment I don't think I will include it in my year chart but it was certainly nearly the case and I might be tempted to listen to it again to see if it's a grower after all.

I think it has better lyrical songwriting than all of those legends best records, actually.

Well for that one Abba-like song it's very clear for me: Abba knew how to write a song, something which I would never had admitted when I was young because it was very uncool to like Abba. But for the Carpenters-like songs (about all the rest), you might be right. I only began to appreciate how good they were with the tribute album If I Were A Carpenter, but that is only for a number of their best songs. It's true that I haven't heard a full album of good songs by The Carpenters. And on Magic Mirror, nearly all the tracks are good and as I said, I'd maybe appreciate it even more after some more listens.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

mickilennial — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 01:01:34 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 03/20/2021 05:01

dihansse wrote:

I think it has better lyrical songwriting than all of those legends best records, actually.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

Hayden — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 17:37:19 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 03/19/2021 21:37

Oh, this is very fun. Sounds like it could have been an late70s/early80s classic.

Not sure why I put this one off.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

dihansse — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 17:26:59 GMT

Author: dihansse

Posted: 03/19/2021 21:26

I remember I listened to the first two songs when the album was released and then stopped.

Now listening to it again and at first sight this is a complete ABBA rip off in the first track and very Carpenters in most of the others. And Idk but I even got a bit of a Dr. Hook vibe on some of the tracks.

It all sounds very derivative and lacks the genious of the quoted bands, but it was great fun to listen to this bunch of songs because it does bring you back to the seventies.
For the moment I don't think I will include it in my year chart but it was certainly nearly the case and I might be tempted to listen to it again to see if it's a grower after all.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

Mercury — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 17:30:50 GMT

Author: Mercury

Posted: 03/18/2021 21:30

Gowi wrote:

yep, as far as last minute fill ins go, this is a great choice! Listened again today, and its just a really shimmery, shiny, joyous and incredibly catchy set of tracks.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

mickilennial — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 17:25:25 GMT

Author: mickilennial

Posted: 03/18/2021 21:25

“She’s a little bit country, I’m a little bit Hall & Oates and ABBA” is the best way I could describe this album in a meme but you know, it really does work. Glad a lot of people are having some mileage with this one.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

Keatownrodriguez — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 15:17:31 GMT

Author: Keatownrodriguez

Posted: 03/18/2021 19:17

I gave it a listen when it first came out and was very unimpressed, maybe I should give it another try

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

LedZep — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 11:50:35 GMT

Author: LedZep

Posted: 03/18/2021 15:50

Enjoyed this one much, much more than I thought I would. The opener was an odd one in the mix, but it is definitely a highlight for me. The whole thing was very solid though, not a bad song in sight. Maybe a bit derivative, but I'm not well versed in pop country so it didn't bother me as much. The rich Countrypolitan sound was incredible and it's such a well produced and mixed album. IDK maybe I'm overreacting because I don't often hear a good country album (or rather I don't often hear a country album period), but this is top 15 candidate for now.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

EyeKanFly — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 08:56:34 GMT

Author: EyeKanFly

Posted: 03/18/2021 12:56

After a second listen, it's very pleasant the whole way through. Agreed that it's derivative and not too much original substance, but I don't even mind since it was such an enjoyable listen.

I think Charles' songwriting is solid, clearly drawing similar influences as Kacey Musgraves (pop-country of the 70s) but taking them in a different direction. "Sweet Sunshine Wine" and "Impostor" feel like highlights for me, although the album flows so well that I'm almost inclined not to pick out highlights.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

RoundTheBend — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 23:05:49 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 03/18/2021 03:05

First 20 seconds - this sounds like ABBA.

3 minutes in - some kind of pop bliss akin a little to what I liked about Bedouin. (I don't care about your more accurate descriptors)

Album over I thought I was going to say it had a nice start but got boring over time - little too samey samey, but ended up not being the case. Each track had intriguing subtleties.

Nice impromptu on no sleep. Better than anything I'll suggest.

I remember not really liking the type of music like the title track. This time I tried harder, but it was still my least favorite on the record. Otherwise I dug a lot. Felt a bit of a Beatles vibe every so often. Like Take Your Time reminds me a bit of said artist group people.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

Skinny — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 15:48:30 GMT

Author: Skinny

Posted: 03/17/2021 19:48

I listened to this a few weeks back, should've added it to my year chart by now. Lovely vibes, if a bit derivative. Will relisten and return with thoughts.

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

Applerill — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 15:43:07 GMT

Author: Applerill

Posted: 03/17/2021 19:43

This is wonderfully smooth <3

Re: ALC #7: Magic Mirror

Hayden — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 12:36:01 GMT

Author: Hayden

Posted: 03/17/2021 16:36

I blame these.