Welcome to my second installment in my album reviews series, where I review albums and rank them on a scale of 1-10!

Magdalena Bay is a synth pop duo comprised of Mica Tenenbaum and Mathew Lewin, who released their 80s inspired debut last year; Mercurial World. First things first, Mathew absolutely KILLS it on the production here. The drums are tight and crisp, all the synths and guitars feel so clean, and everything has a certain shimmer-y quality to it. The production really shines (pun intended) on tracks like “Dawning of the Season”, the title track, and my personal favorite: “You Lose!”. This album contains some of the catchiest synth lines I have ever heard, like on the aforementioned songs, as well as “Chaeri”, “Domino”, and “The Beginning”. This album does a fantastic job of hearkening back to the golden age of synth pop, while still adding elements to make it sound new and fresh. Now, the next thing I love, the vocals! Mica's vocals feel as though they fit like a puzzle piece on the instrumental, rather than being content to just float on top of it. The hooks here are superb as well as being so effortlessly catchy that you can't help but sing along. The lyrics deal with many themes, most of them having to do with technology and how we interact with it.

This record isn't perfect however. Some of these tracks feel forgettable and leave a bit to be desired, while also feeling a tad bit unfinished. This album is well worth giving a full listen, as the great tracks far outweigh the forgettable!

Best Tracks: Mercurial World, Dawning Of The Season, You Lose!, Chaeri, The Beginning

Least Good Tracks: Follow The Leader, Dreamcatching

Final Rating: 7.9/10

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