Step Into The Light – Paul Berwick’s Magnetic Quartet (self released)The title track is a self-assured slice of Big Star-style pop, powered by Galvin’s resonating guitar and a soaring Berwick vocal. A big chorus sets it up early. The song’s breezy composure slips off with a mid-stream psychedelic passage before those uplifting, bristling guitars take us out. It’s the best thing here by a long way.
“We forget our past so easily,” is Berwick’s opening lyric on “Our Time Is Short”, a measured pop song reflecting on mortality. The acoustic guitar imparts urgency before a wall of Galvin sound bounces off Kennedy’s fills to kick things up a notch.
“You Can Rely On Me” isn’t as strong, but Kennedy and Dickson give a big swinging bottom end to the closer “Don’t Stop”. Berwick is in fine voice again but The Galvinator’s filigree licks and an excoriating double-tracked outro are the secret weapons.
The production at Damien Gerard in Gosford from Andrew Beck and Russ T Rokk is terrific and gives full to every layer, and the band went the whole hog with mastering by William Bowden that puts the aural icing on the cake. It's available digitally or on CD. Grab your own copy here.
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