"...with Pad, the answer lies within the ingenious little refrains of synth, which form a homogeneous blanket that continually pours over the arrangements of bells, drums, and nostalgic vocals." -Aquarium Drunkard
"Peel Dream Magazine jettisons the 90s haze, finding solace in a hammock-swung pocket of pop, nicking bits of ‘60s folk and radio crooners with equal glee. It's an album that ingests the past without needing to become it." -Raven Sings The Blues
"Pivoting from the bombed-out shoegaze sounds that defined the first three releases, Peel Dream Magazine escape to a clear-headed radiance on Pad trading fuzzy guitars for vintage organs, chimes, and farfisa while still retaining that wiry Slumberland touch." -New Commute
"Pad is a twisted ride through offbeat fantasy that maintains an adventurous soundboard of corduroy structures." -48 Hills
"Pad’s lead single and title track portends a softer, more elegant sound; according to promo materials, Stevens “eschews the fuzzy glories of his indie pop past” in favor of something more like chamber-pop, even as the residue of the old sound remains. I hear glimpses of artists from Westerman to the Beach Boys in there too." -Stereogum
STREAM: "Harmony" -
YouTube
STREAM: Magic Is Pocketed EP -
Streaming Services
As discrete pieces and a whole, Magic Is Pocketed speaks clearly to the grand narrative of Pad. The EP begins and ends with instrumental reprises of motifs from the record that were originally intended as song transitions, most notably 'Mary, Johnny and Me,' a reference to the Pad song 'Message the Manager': "Money for Mary and Johnny and me. Money for everyone lost out at sea". 'Hell' is the oldest track of the bunch and perhaps the most important given it was the first to be written for Pad alongside its title track and 'Back in the Band.' The tempo changes and quirky found-percussion elements tie it clearly to those other tracks, as well as displaying a soul music-inspired quality through the chord progression and bass. 'Harmony' was a later track, and is characteristic of the baroque pop approach that shaped Pad, influenced as it is by Van Dyke Parks. Stevens notes that, "these tracks have a frivolity to them that's really refreshing to me. I personally view these songs as belonging on Pad, were it not for the restraints of what will fit on a 12" record.”
TOUR DATES:
11/04 Seattle, WA - NII Modo Gallery *&
11/07 Vancouver, BC - Green Auto %$
11/08 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios #
11/10 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill #
11/11 Los Angeles, CA - Gold Diggers #
11/13 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar #
* = w/ Versing
& = w/ Fell Off
% = w/ Everyday Life
$ = w/ Sleuth
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