The Mic Recommends: Magdalena Bay

Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin form the synth pop duo we know as Magdalena Bay. Previous prog rockers Tenenbaum and Lewin pivoted to pop at the inception of Magdalena Bay to, as they say, “maybe be more successful”. Four years later, they would be rewarded for this sensible and earnest pivot. The Mic's Aaliyah Field reports.

The Original Album Cover of Imaginal Disk

You may know their 2019 pop hit Killshot which had a resurgence in 2020 as the audio accompaniment to many a fan edit on TikTok. Their 2024 sophomore album Imaginal Disk received almost exclusively positive attention from music critics. It reached beyond their loyal listeners to an audience eager and grateful for a new take on synth pop. From Pink Floyd and Genesis to Charli xcx and Grimes, Tenenbaum and Lewin incorporate their rich musical influences to create celestial, room and mind filling tracks.

It's clear the duo’s progressive ideology rock prevails beneath their pop music production resulting in the unique and beautifully disorientating sound of Magdalena Bay. This legacy continues with new songs Second Sleep and Star Eyes released on the 26th of September. I now attempt the near impossible feat of describing this sound within the confines of the English language.

Our introduction to Second Sleep is a soft and fuzzy synth. It’s a warm and inviting sensation that sounds as if it can only be created by an instrument with no hard edges or sides. A quick, authentic drumline grounds the listener into a comfortable lofi beat, but there is no time to sleep yet. “Put the coffee on and hudder on out the door” Tenenbaum’s layered vocals demand alongside a swell of strings and twinkling synths. One might imagine the crescendo as a trek towards the crest of a hill, which once summited eveals a spectacular celestial view. A romantic may envision meeting the eyes of that special person, their thrill soundtracked by this instrumental surge. It is difficult not to superimpose some sort of fantastical plot when the music encompasses your mind and so warmly invites you to participate in the cybercelestial world of Magdalena Bay. The track goes back and forth between stripped back and swelling, dream and nightmare, comfort and discomfort. The duo snaps you in and out of this dream world like a stage hypnotist. Sometimes you’re heading towards a nightmare with an Alfred Hitchcock approved violin, sometimes you’re floating amongst the stars.

"The duo snaps you in and out of this dream world like a stage hypnotist."

Second Sleep lures you in with its easy listening poplike intro before it devolves to match the despondent lyrics. Second sleep could be the second attempt at sleep after a period of wake during the night. In a morbid interpretation, perhaps it is meant to be death. Sleep is a guilty pleasure when life is as burdensome and demanding as it is. “No sleeping in; Call the cops, drug me up, send the men off to war”, ie; the world goes on without you whether you are active in it or not. It's a pessimistic theme that critiques a society obsessed with productivity and capital. Second Sleep longs for “proto-days” where simple leasures were allowed and encouraged. The erratic sound is an attempt to capture the peaceful state of sleep interrupted by periods of wake in an overwhelming and horrifying reality.

Now for Star Eyes. A much more mellow start, and a much breathier performance from Tenenbaum. It’s a fluttery saxophone and an echoey piano with keys hitting the soft felt. The vocals are accompanied by saxophone mocking Tenenbaum’s repetitive, jabbing pace. It is less pessimistic than Second Sleep. It seems like a self reflective piece about the tendency to avoid problems by running from them. “You try to let tomorrow’s sun rise; Instead of wondering why” suggests Tenenbaum is bestowing advice, maybe to herself, to face difficult moments rather than wishing them away. There’s a soft approach to the instrumentals and a comfort in the theme of coming to terms with hardship. To wrap up in true Magdalena Bay fashion, a consistent piano riff is engulfed by a string and saxophone ensemble which eventually succumbs to the slow drag of a violin bow. Listeners are left back in reality, pondering the state of it and how we got here.

"It seems like a self reflective piece about the tendency to avoid problems by running from them."

If you’re looking to give your ears something they’re not at all expecting, give Magdalena Bay a listen. I have no doubt they will continue their legacy of fascinating and perplexing listeners with their future releases.

Aaliyah Field

---

Edited by Daniela Roux

Album cover photo courtesy of Magdalena Bay