What's with the lukewarm reviews?
03/25/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album seems a world away from their debut (isn't it available anymore? Crying shame, that). The dark, brooding feel of the first outing barely made it onto this album, although it definitely creeps in. White Magic has a more outright rock feel, less obsessive gloominess, and well...diversity. The first track--a wonderful ode to losers like you-- starts off kind of rough, but soon a very earnest latin horn section turns it into a shout-along anthem. Song For Pessoa is exactly that, and its a soothing, sparse guitar lullaby that ends in a (Portuguese?) recitation. Very nice. Drum-machine confined I Don't Wanna Be Here Without You is probably the lightest moment, and if you are familiar with Monteiro's lyrics, you know its the quirky instrumentation that makes it so! Mondo Cane proves they've got rock swagger, as if you had reason to doubt. Typically, they use cello in several songs, and it always sounds perfect. That's one of the reasons I liked their debut so much. Monteiro reveals a softer, sweeter side to her voice on this album, too. It is a change of pace, so fans of earlier stuff may need a while to get used to it, but newcomers have nothing not to like. I mean, Thom Yorke's on the album, COULD it be bad? Still Drugstore, still great. No--they've gotten better. Here's hoping I don't have to wait so long for the next one."