Majick Spells
Dine Alone Records
Living up to the musical limelight of The Knack’s My Sharona is no easy task, however Gabe, Noa and Liv Niles, like true spawns of a one-hit-wonder, did not care to take on such a task. Emerging from the ever-growing L.A. shoegaze-alt-rock scene is a band consisting of Prescott Niles’ three kids and friend/bassist, Blues Williams. Gateway Drugs recently collaborated with producer Christopher Thorn to create, Magick Spells. With feedback-heavy guitars and distorted, angsty-teen sounding vocals, the new album can be likened to the works of Sonic Youth (Mommy), My Bloody Valentine (Head) and The Raveonettes (Echolalia).
For the most part, this new album does not rise above and beyond the tired traditions of Smashing-Pumpkins-in-a-toilet-cubicle acoustics and easy-core, noisy acid-rock (or ‘drug pop’ as they have referred to on their Facebook page). However the band has managed to be synonymous with the words impassioned, noisy, reckless and melodic all at once. Whilst delimiting themselves on any particular genre on a song-to-song basis, they do not scatter too far. With fuzzy vocals and a particularly well-curated ensemble of instruments, Gateway Drugs have created a quintessentially, interestingly quality album.
CLAUDIA NATHAN
