While other pop stars compete for the top of the charts, Magdalena Bay has quietly released one of the best albums this decade. Instead of catering to the masses for a few radio hits, the pop duo crafted a vibrant masterpiece worthy of being labeled a modern classic.
In 2021, producer Matt Lewin and singer Mica Tenenbaum from Magdalena Bay released Mercurial World: a glamorous synth-pop epic featuring some of the most inventive production in the modern pop landscape. Imaginal Disk does more than replicate that magic; it expands on it, delivering an album brimming with bold and bright ideas. Headed by two of the sharpest minds in the genre, it was almost guaranteed to be a success.
After the singles “Death & Romance”, “Image”, and “Tunnel Vision”, things looked promising for Imaginal Disk. However, the final product is greater than anyone could have anticipated. It’s far more than a great pop record; it’s a defining album of the 2020s. From beginning to end, every moment is dazzlingly brilliant.
The impactful intro
The album begins with “She Looked Like Me!”, an inviting piece of synth-pop that teleports the listener into a realm of colorful sounds. On vocals, Mica’s voice is soft and silky. Her intimate performance blends nicely with the dreamy synths in the background, showing off the magic of the duo’s dynamic. While Mica pulls the listener in, Matt controls production, creating a storm of electronica to capture the audience. As the song progresses, that minimal synth passage evolves into an explosive crescendo of crashing drums and stuttering bass. Through this intro, the duo summarises all their greatest strengths: catchy vocals, hypnotic instrumentation, and jaw-dropping climaxes.
After that, the listener is enamored. The intro seamlessly transitions into the next track, guiding the listener deeper into the album without a moment of silence. “Killing Time” strips back the electronica in favor of some irresistible funk. While a groovy bassline loops throughout, Mica delves into themes of time, mortality, and life, pondering existential issues with an eerily carefree delivery. Although the song can be repetitive, the melody is so catchy that it could play for an hour and never get tiring.
The mesmerizing middle section
Following a dreamy interlude, the album transitions into “Image”, kicking off a run of gorgeous standout tracks. This song sees Magdalena Bay dive into the world of psychedelia, made clear by its hypnotic synth intro. Mica’s vocals are haunting, lingering on every word as the bass thuds and a choir of synths rise behind her.
The momentum doesn’t stop on “Death & Romance”, the epic lead single to Imaginal Disk. An impactful piano melody hooks the listener in, soon accompanied by woozy layers of drum and bass. As Mica’s singing grows more intense, the production swells, building into a glittering cacophony of thundering percussion and angelic synthesizer.
After “Fear, Sex” offers the listener a much-needed moment to breathe, the duo eases the listener back in with “Vampire in the Corner”. What starts as a soft, almost serene adventure into art pop quickly escalates into a nightmarish roar of rock instrumentation. As the song draws to a close, a brutal passage of guitar drowns out Mica’s intimate vocals, replacing any sense of romance with deafening chaos and anxiety.
“Tunnel Vision” follows a similar structure, but to even greater effect. The first half is as chirpy and upbeat as any other Magdalena Bay song. Despite Mica’s anxiety-riddled lyrics, her stress is hidden under a veil of tranquil synthpop production. Then everything changes. A clamor of drums interrupts Mica, followed by a squeal of guitar which builds up into the song’s prog-rock finale. The music takes over, with the rush of grumbling guitar capturing more emotion than any written lyric.
The enthralling ending
As if Imaginal Disk couldn’t get any better, the final leg harbors the best tunes on the whole album. After the funk-laced brilliance of “Love Is Everywhere” and “Feeling Diskinserted?”, Imaginal Disk enters its final four-track run.
Mixing some woozy synths with grungy guitar, “That’s My Floor” is a musical elixir of rock and electronica. The glitchy, sizzling guitar riffs on the chorus add a satisfying punch to every word Mica utters. Using the imagery of a hotel to describe her spiritual awakening, the writing is deeply poetic, but the infectious instrumental makes the song that much more addictive.
Similarly, the production of “Cry for Me” is enough to make it a Song of the Year contender. Mica’s voice pierces through a haze of groovy bass and twinkling piano. She delivers her greatest performance, ebbing and flowing from moody whispers to throat-aching screams.
“Angel on a Satellite” provides a necessary break for the listener before the impactful finale, “The Ballad of Matt & Mica”. An ever-evolving spiral of acoustic and electronic production, the song encapsulates all the joy, imagination, and grooviness of Imaginal Disk. Mica even sings the same melody as the first song, bringing the record full circle as it draws to a close.
Album of the year?
It wouldn’t be far-fetched to call Imaginal Disk the best album of 2024. Few albums this year have been as pristinely produced, carefully written, and thoughtfully structured as this one. From the subtle transitions between songs to the unforgettable choruses, in every regard, Imaginal Disk is flawless.
What the record lacks in radio hits, the duo makes up for in their dedication to the album experience. Songs transition smoothly, bringing the project together as a cohesive whole. Motifs and ideas echo from track to track, tying the album up with vivid themes of mortality and love. Imaginal Disk is not a mere collection of tracks; it’s a deliberate album where every song is essential.
The duo strikes a perfect balance between accessibility and artistry, crafting irresistible pop tunes with enough nuance that every listen feels fresh, with new details uncovered every time. Imaginal Disk defies the disposableness of pop music, encouraging the listener to come back time and time again to bask in the boundless creativity of Magdalena Bay.
