Record Review // A Magic Whistle "THE SOLAR CELL" (Public Eyesore Records)

 https://publiceyesore.bandcamp.com/album/the-solar-cell

When listening to this record by A Magic Whistle I can tell you that I both hear the magic within as well as a whistle.  The mostly instrumental album, "THE SOLAR CELL", is full of electronics and often times guitar notes in place of the singing.  Winding, mystikal type guitars start this all off, like a sitar, and then it can turn into more of this beeping, like Morse Code.  The way that these guitars beep can shift into this almost carousel ride-like rhythm which is a lot of fun.  

Along with the guitars can come synths which both sound like a lot of fun and being in space.  Some Atari vibes are in here and we also can hear the more organic and natural sound of birds singing.  (Do the birds make this less instrumental?)  Rather relaxed in the tones, this also seems to tell a story with these guitar notes.  Synth electronic bubbles come through as well, which can have me feeling like this is the soundtrack to something like "Adventure Time".

At one point I hear church bells and not because of that but just in general now I'm reminded of Matmos.  On a song such as "SOFT ROBOT" these guitar notes slide in and remind me of both that carousel vibe still but also Spongebob Squarepants.  The whistling comes out here and I've also got that feeling of a little surf breeze.   

"PEAKS AND TROUGHS" can bring out more of the electronic glitch vibes and at some point this does shift from being more of that guitar-based electronics to full on synth based.  Video game vibes also come out, as it can feel like we're going up and down on "FILL UP GLASS".   Something close to singing comes out on "SNOW BLOWN" whilst "BOGUS BURN" generates a strong horn of some kind.  

It's that twang of the setting sun with the electronics coming in like magic keys on "DEVOTEES OF THE SOLAR CELL" mixed with that glitch uphill battle on "SNACKENBERRY" that show what this sound is all about.  By "GLACIAL PACER" there are ba ba ba's so the singing does take on almost words, though on "THEN THE CAMPFIRE SANG" the vocals don't make words but sing along with the guitars the way that I so much enjoy doing with so many different songs.

From Dan Deacon to The Muppets, A Magic Whistle just feels like something which could be made with a keyboard (which the synths would come out of, as well as other electronics) inside of your bedroom and in a rather minimal way, but then the guitar and even singing which come put this as something more complex and layered.  Though the notes will tell me that this is a one person project- Andy Puls- it can feel like it at times, but overall it can take on the sound of a full on orchestra.