Magdalena Bay - Imaginal Disk
Synth Pop – Released August 23, 2024 – 15 songs, 53 mins
REID
Every now and again an artist comes out of nowhere and surprises the hell out of you. Enter Magdalena Bay. Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin have known each other since high school and have been creating music under this name since 2016. They’re still on the climb to synthpop relevancy with just 2.6 million monthly Spotify listeners but should see a significant rise with Imaginal Disk’s release and promotion. Their second studio album will be a viable contender amongst a growing list for 2024 album of the year.
Mica and Matthew put their individual respective talents on display with vocals and instruments but this album’s greatest strength is in the sum of its parts. The production quality on Imaginal Disk is outstanding. At a glance, a fifteen song, 54-minute synthpop compilation is in red flag territory but the duo was up to the challenge. They executed their concept album vision brilliantly with ebbs, flows, interludes and seamless transitions, setting a high standard early and maintaining it through to the finish. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for this process. Presumably arduous and incredibly time consuming, they comb through every track adding layer after layer of detail. The synthesizer is Matthew’s primary weapon of choice but I’d be amiss not to mention the collection of string and brass arrangements, drums and bass. Perhaps the most effective instrument is Mica’s voice. She mixes her range, tone and volume effortlessly, complimenting the music so well. The result is a final product worth the effort for themselves and their fans.
The tracklist on this record is so impressive, I had a hard time picking which ones to talk about, let alone choosing a favourite. Killing Time and Fear, Sex begin on the catchy, happy-go-lucky side before building to entrancing conclusions. Image opens with swirling synth and a subdued vocal and Mica switches it up in the chorus with a higher range to suit the evolving synth. Death & Romance and Tunnel Vision have mainstream qualities and deserve the spotlight that comes with it. Their alternative complexity only adds to the intrigue. That’s My Floor ramps up on the rock elements for a stadium anthem to add to the mix. Love Is Everywhere slaps you figuratively and the bass literally from the opening note for an infectious groove we hadn’t heard up to that point. Cry For Me has a heavy 80’s disco feel with the keyboard as a standout. Vampire In The Corner could appear as the 2025 Valentine’s Day Tik Tok trend with Mica’s seductive and memorable delivery. There’s so much to love on Imaginal Disk.
Two lyrics stood out amongst the reflective journey illustrated by Magdalena Bay and they’re both thought provoking. On Killing Time, Mica sings ‘It only takes a minute to forget a week. Count up all the years we spend asleep.’ The days, months and years seem to fly off the calendar quicker than ever and it’s important to do your best to soak in the moments that truly matter. OnWatching T.V., she pleads ‘Too much watching T.V., it’s gonna rot you from the inside out.’ A similar phrase was muttered by boomer parents in my upbringing, mine included. I don’t think it’s ever been truer than it is today.
Mica and Matthew of Magdalena Bay will draw you in and blow you away with their ingenius synthpop soundscapes. Imaginal Disk is daring and dramatic, yet sophisticated.
Overall Rating: 8.7/10
Favourite Song: Love is Everywhere
ROZ
Too Sweet Reviews once again has been blessed with freshly made, uniquely crafted music as we dig into alt-pop duo Magdalena Bay’s 2024 album release. From high school love-birds to college-aged collaborators, Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin have been making music for almost a decade and in that time have unleashed their beautifully strange take on music and art through a combination of 35 singles, 33 music videos, 6 EP’s, and now, their second studio album. This is Imaginal Disk.
A concept album that takes the listener through a dream-like universe, Imaginal Disk pits our main character against their seemingly impossible journey to live up to their own potential and become the absolute best version of themselves. Written against a complex and ever-changing backdrop of synthesizer-based electronic soundscapes, ABBA-esque piano melodies (Cry for Me especially making it damn hard for me to stay objective) and a seemingly endless barrage of string, brass and percussive arrangements, Imaginal Disk pushes the boundaries of what can be fit into the surprisingly digestible pop music song structure that this album employs. While much of the success in its execution can be attributed to Tenenbaum and Lewin, to me it is also very much a nod to the quality of the production team that they choose to work with as well - a true team effort.
While the band is very much a duo (with every song writing credit going solely to them), there is a musician and production credit list on this album that leaves one awestruck. Nick Villa, an old bandmate, on the drum kit is accompanied by a 25-piece ensemble of instruments that are kept in line by skilled orchestra conductor Erik Arvinder; an individual who has collaborated with the likes of Childish Gambino, John Legend, Avicii and deadmau5 - talk about diversity. Even with this vast array of instrumentation, each element has its own special moment at some point through Imaginal Disk. The basslines through the album are especially exceptional and are some of the most memorable bass grooves on a record that I’ve heard for some time. If you are one who seeks out complex, hard hitting low ends, look no further than songs such as Death & Romance, Love Is Everywhere or That’s My Floor. I’m not using hyperbole when I say that Love Is Everywhere’s bass guitar has drilled itself deep into the fractals of my brain since I first listened to it - what an earworm.
Ultimately, it is perhaps the perfect balance I noticed between such a multitude of instrumental and vocal talents that truly makes the album feel so perfectly glued together. Speaking of vocal talents, Mica Tenebaum’s hypnotic and seemingly effortless performance on the microphone highlights that Magdalena Bay is more than just an amalgamation of pretty sounds. Mica herself really shines in tracks Image, Vampire in the Corner and Cry for Me, however her talents rarely falter and her performance stays impressively consistent between the various energy levels, tempos and stylistic switch-ups throughout. This elevates not only the songs themselves but also the overall connections of concept throughout the albums entire run time.
Imaginal Disk is one of the slowest burns I’ve experienced as a music reviewer, wherein every additional listen gripped me and pulled me in deeper and deeper. Typically a 54 minute album would warrant the usual criticisms and critiques that many long albums receive, but not here. All of the elements come together to create such a sleek, air-tight package that each playthrough just effortlessly zips by. Imaginal Disk showcases Magdalena Bay’s unique sound and will undoubtedly serve as the precursor to their eventual meteoric rise.
Overall Rating: 8.4/10
Favourite Song: Love Is Everywhere
LUNDI
Teamwork makes the dream work, or so they say. Magdalena Bay, the duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, might just be the best musical representation of that cliche. The duo have worked tirelessly through their near ten year career to sharpen their skillset and refine their synth pop sounds. Through utilization of the EP format to tinker and toy with their ambitions and ideas the duo gained a skillset that’s helped craft an acclaimed pop concept album worth celebrating. Please insert the Imaginal Disk, let’s go on a musical journey.
Concept albums are risky. It’s easy to understand the ideas when you’re controlling the inputs, but if the listener doesn’t come to the same conclusion, the album often becomes disjointed and messy. Magdalena Bay took on that risk but to their credit Imaginal Disk’s sci-fi futuristic tale of finding your ideal self lands near flawlessly. It’s still rooted is love and fear like most music but its fantastical conceptualization of becoming everything you’ve ever dreamed of through a temporarily installed forehead disc is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. As crazy as that idea sounds, Imaginal Disk never seems that far fetched. The narrative is crafted wonderfully between futuristic landscapes and present day feelings that allows the listener to feel at home in every moment. The ability to take pop music in a new lyrical direction felt impossible this time last year but has now happened twice in 2024 with this effort and the prominent chart topping brat by Charli XCX. Good company to be in for the Miami duo.
The album is not just an adventure into the unknown either, it’s a smattering of sonic landscapes that’s all over the map in the best ways. The duo, who share production credits, are apt at finding a great pop structure but never being satisfied with the roots they set. Each song is layered with pulsating tones and futuristic effects with excellent crafted brass and string arrangements to accompany the engineered sounds. For every minute you think you have the sonics figured out, another surprise element hits you in the face. The ambitious effort is insatiable dance pop that is one of my favourite sonic adventures of the year.
Generally on scores of this stature I try to avoid the negative but after gushing to great lengths above it’s fair to dissect the album’s vocal performance which ultimately weighs down Imaginal Disk from all time pop effort to just a great record. Tenenbaum tracks the vocal while Lewin produces resulting in a rare team letdown for my money. Perhaps it’s on the mixing or mastering but there are momentary lapses in vocal performance that cannot be ignored. For a decent majority of singing Tenenbaum comes off seductive and sexy, but it’s a fine pitch corrected line she toes and when it’s executed poorly it comes off like a parent talking to their child, or better yet me talking to honorary fourth TSR member Phoebe. Baby talk is loving and cute in the right situation, but it belongs no where near an album. The more aggravating part is the faults don’t lie in individual songs that can be skipped, but unavoidable moments within multiple songs that sour the overall output. It’s glaring but luckily not plentiful allowing the album to still maintain a glowing overall impact.
Only time will tell just how much influence Imaginal Disk will have on the music industry but short term results indicate it’ll be a rightful career defining record for Magdalena Bay. Their second album is work of a crafted veteran that’s ambitious, innovative and downright fun.
Overall Rating: 8.1/10
Favourite Song: Image