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Majical Cloudz Are You Alone? Matador

16.10.15

After the release of their debut LP Impersonator, Majical Cloudz toured heavily. A portion of that schedule was spent playing massive arena dates with Lorde. It all added to the curious sensation and massive success of Majical Cloudz. The starkness and intense sincerity of their debut left them with a following and a position where half of the alternative music press were behind them without really being able to justify what separates all the other emotive, stripped-back synth indie.

Are You Alone? looks to continue this cult of personality. Fortunately, it is a cult grounded in gorgeous, cinematic pop songs wrapped up in introspection and woebegone lyricism. Heavy features one of singer Devon Welsh’s best vocal performances while Downtown builds into one of their most self-assured and stirring crescendos to date. If Impersonator was an introduction to their vacant navel-gazing then this record spends some real time in the zone. Flickers of stillness and even joy tangled up in Matthew Otto’s theatrical, minimalist production.

Despite the album’s frequent moments of effective drama, the sound here is inoffensive, and it is still unclear what’s made Majical Cloudz so popular. It’s either their genuine fearlessness, or their way of making emotional pornography easy to consume.