The best pop album of 2021 was Mercurial World by Miami-born, L.A.-based duo Magdalena Bay. If you like your pop maximal, candy-coated, adventurous, and stuffed with more hooks than a lake hosting the world championships of fishing, then you owe it to yourself to check this album out. It’s already a modern classic, all-killer, no-skips, almost impossible to get out of your head once it lands. Heir apparent to the road Chairlift were paving with Moth before they broke up. Mica Tenenbaum and Matt Lewin have kept fans like myself waiting for the official follow-up, but they’ve been anything other than silent during that time. Their 2023 mini mix vol. 3 genuinely might be my favourite release of that year and it’s just a 15-minute 7-track EP!
Now, finally, it may be sophomore album time. Yesterday, Magdalena Bay dropped their first official single since the deluxe edition of Mercurial World and, folks, it slaps harder than any Power Slap contestant could manage. “Death & Romance” is a bouncy, baggy, interstellar jam riding fun-as-hell house piano and Tenenbaum’s multi-tracked melodic vocals. Each time those live drums punch in alongside the fuzzy bass blast for the chorus, I feel like doing spontaneous high kicks. Their production work over the years has already been quietly some of the best going in pop music, yet this still feels like a gorgeous levelling-up. Those synth strobes over the outro? Transcendent!
Whilst the album might not be revealed with this single, the band have also announced their “Imaginal Mystery Tour” dates. It’ll see them spending September running around the US before making a very brief sojourn to the UK & Europe in November. Trust me on this: you are going to want to get to those shows. I caught their sold-out XOYO date in London for the 2022 Mercurial World tour and it was one of the most purely fun shows I saw all year. Aesthetic, vibes, energy, songs; all on point and then some. I wouldn’t be surprised to see these UK shows sell out instantly – I think they’ve grossly underestimated demand in the venues they’ve booked – so make sure you’re online when they go on sale this Friday.
Anyways, enough hyping. Stream “Death & Romance” below and check the new tour dates below that.
Magdalena Bay “Imaginal Mystery Tour” dates
03/09 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
05/09 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
06/09 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore Ballroom
07/09 Seattle, WA – Neptune Theatre
10/09 Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre
12/09 Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
13/09 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
14/09 Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
17/09 Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl
18/09 Boston, MA – Royale
20/09 Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
21/09 Washington, D.C. – 9:30 Club
22/09 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
24/09 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
25/09 Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
27/09 Fort Worth, TX – Tulips FTW
28/09 Austin, TX – Scoot Inn
01/10 Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
02/10 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre
07/11 Reykjavik, ICLD – Iceland Airwaves [festival date]
09/11 Berlin, GER – FRANNZ Club
11/11 Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg OZ
12/11 Paris, FR – Café de la Danse
13/11 – London, UK – Heaven
15/11 – Manchester, UK – YES (Pink Room)
16/11 – Dublin, IRE – Button Factory
Photo by Lissyelle Laricchia.
“Death & Romance” is available now via Mom+Pop Records.
Words: Callie Petch
