The ever-dynamic, veteran group Piano Magic show they’re a little older and smarter than younger collectives. The decade-old band features several English and French members, and their latest album Part Monster is an affecting set of chamber pop that draws elegance from both countries. The album’s mood is dark and theatrical, featuring some charmed vocals and some deftly-disguised rock.
Part Monster is a smart blend of shoegaze and ambient rock with a synthetic baroque sense of staging. The opening track, "The Last Engineer" has a slick drumskate highlighted by an echoed piano and foggy guitar effects. The album wafts around these instruments in slower and quicker fashion. The next track is the lounge anthem, "England’s Always Better (As You’re Pulling Away)" as a downtempo commentary on England through a magnetic duet between guests Angele David-Guillou and Simon River. The rest of the album alternates tempos along these same lines. "Halfway Through" is a cool, tom-heavy rhythm with chimes and guitars shimmering under melancholy vocals. There’s a well-established grey mood on Part Monster while Piano Magic (and their guests) fancifully vary rhythms and speeds around the calm, dark axis.
For a long-traveled group with such connections, Part Monster is a testament to their long-running prowess. The album has sounds that could fill an opera house, rock club, or bedroom. The instrumentation is highly sophisticated, and the strain in the voices are emotional without a drop of silliness. It’s another strong notch in their collectively wide belt.
