Imaginal Disk

Magdalena Bay manages to improve upon every aspect on their debut album, on their sophomore effort "Imaginal Disk". The production became even more exquisite and evocative, their sound now fully realised and developed, the musical arrangements even more ingenious and satisfying, and even down to the album pacing -- which was the major problem on their debut -- now the tracklist flows so naturally, with the duo knowing precisely where to place slow moments and where to start building up.

While I've originally rated it very high already, something clicked on this listen. The moments in this album that I deemed to have slightly faltered before, had miraculously disappeared, meanwhile my favourite moments on the record I've only grown to enjoy more. That is the synth pop heaven of "Image", the psychedelic disco grooves on "Cry For Me", the prog rock outro on "Tunnel Vision", and the impressive guitar that just fills your eardrums on the massively underrated "That's My Floor". Every song hits, down to even the interludes. (like what do you mean fear, sex and true blue are THAT short and THAT good) It's a display of imaginative pop at its finest. A spectacle. A triumph.