Magic City
The second full album from this Boston-based trio is a rich, complex effort that keeps you coming back again and again, and it grows with every listen. Guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Mary Timony has a wealth of cool influences--from Krautrock and  the Cars to the Velvets and vintage Pink Floyd--but all of them are filtered through her own distinctive personality, and married with lyrics that take an unromantic but nonetheless inspiring view of life in the modern world. Produced by Mitch Easter (Let's Active, R.E.M., Pavement), this is a lush, multi-layered disc full of such enticing touches as funky analog synths, cool overdriven guitar tones, Eastern percussion, and strings. In fact, the sound is almost as seductive as Timony herself. --Jim Derogatis