Albums
January: 18 albums you need to hear this month
That's the month sorted then
Midnight Magic 'Free From Your Spell' (Soul Clap Records)
Brooklyn’s Midnight Magic aren’t the only artists mixing 21st century disco, cosmic grooves and glitterball house, but not many achieve it with a nine-strong live band. Despite the numbers involved, ‘Free From Your Spell’ feels uncluttered, liquid and driven; it calls to mind Manchester’s own Crazy P – especially on ‘I Gotta Feeling’, with its spiky percussion and bassline assault – but when Midnight Magic take their foot off the gas, hints of Róisín Murphy poke through. ‘Black Cherry’ is a case in point, as vocalist Tiffany Roth sings in sensual, Murphy-like fashion. They also throw in some smart 90s pop (‘Down Delay’) and downtempo Nordic disco (‘Malibu Fun’) for good measure. Stephen Worthy
7/10
