THE TWENTY SEVEN CLUB

I love a great concept album, and I feel that Magenta's new album, "The Twenty-Seven Club", is a great example of creativity and careful thought. This much anticipated new album is named after that tragic club of young musicians that have all died at the age of 27. It's a depressing subject, but Magenta really takes it and makes it something artistic and thought-provoking.

Magenta has certainly brought more to the plate than just a good concept, however. This album rings with confident composition and maturity. This album is made up of six longer tracks that vary in style to some degree. I found that each track has a certain unique side to it, as well. The album itself starts out with a bang under the flag of the "The Lizard King". Symphonic elements are in full force here, and the subtly psychedelic layers really add a forcefully pleasant aspect to the music. Despite the subject material, "The Twenty-Seven Club" is not dark or dreary. But, utilizing a great mix of symphonic and neo-prog elements, Magenta manages to make this album feel joyous. The well-mixed inclusion of orchestral backdrops creates an addictive level of melody to every inch of this album, too. Groovy, and bluesy. Proggy, but accessible. "The Twenty-Seven Club" excels from the tops of the synth towers to the bottoms of the gorgeous vocal lines.

Speaking of vocals, Christian Booth really shines here. She comes across as quite a story- teller, as she leads us through emotional highs and lows. She sounds really young, to be honest, but her voice is still tempered with experience. This album also happens to feature Andy Edwards (Frost*) on drums. His style is very apparent, as his fills are interesting and well-executed. He is always right on the mark. Solid performances are also turned in by Chris Fry on guitars and Rob Reed on keys. These two manage to have a great sounding relationship where they play off of one another expertly. I did find some of the guitar tones to be a little too "hard rock" for my tastes, but that was only here and there. For the most part, the communion of the guitars and keys is very impressive, especially when the keys are leading the melody in epic fashion.

So, from the epic keys of "The Lizard King" to the groovy rhythms of "Ladyland Blues" to the delicate vocal lines of "The Gift" to the strong guitars of "Stoned", this new album from Magenta really shines. And the finale, "The Devil at the Crossroads", combines all these elements with a meandering vocal style to finish the album with finesse. This album, without a doubt, deserves a place among the best of 2013.