If you have never listened to Young Magic before, it is actually really hard to describe their sound and the impact the music has on the listener. It is a full-body lightness, with a strong calming effect, putting the listener in a trance. Brooklyn-based Young Magic has grown with their second album, Breathing Statues, a very fitting name for what the listener feels like.

The album was written while the band toured the world for their debut album Melt, and you can hear the influence of each place they went to. To capture the feelings and experiences, Indonesian-born Melati Malay and Australian Isaac Emmanuel did field recordings which are used throughout the album. These songs were recorded, as stated on the album sleeve,

in Brooklyn, Paris, Prague, Chefchaouen, Reykjavik, Kau-in-Kau-in and The Catskills.

Melati Malay and Isaac Emmanuel

Melati’s voice is angelic and both stands out and blends into the drums, synths, guitar and field recordings. On the song “Something in the Water”, the heavy hitting bass grounds the airy effects placed on Melati’s vocals, such as panning and overlaying to give depth.

A standout track from the album is “Holographic”, which has Isaac and Melati harmonizing over an upbeat hip-hop beat. With the wide range of sounds and instruments used by the band, it is very hard to categorize them into one specific genre.

Probably the heaviest song on the album would be “Mythnomer”, which has Isaac rapping over guitar and electronic instrumentation very reminiscent of The Weeknd, and Melita singing the chorus. This song shows off both member’s skills at singing and playing.

This album is definitely an essential for anyone’s collection if they want music to listen to while studying or just relaxing with a good book.

All pictures courtesy of the band’s website.