“Come close your eyes/There’s rest in cotton clouds/Love Me/My Love,” swoons Jamie Doe over a the gentle pitter patter of acoustic guitar strings, and sighing strings that swell to affecting in the last minute. This is the sound The Magic Lantern‘s new single “Cut From Stone” – a gorgeous lullaby, full of insightful observation and crumpled up love letters.
If you didn’t know, East London ensemble The Magic Lantern create a psych-tapestry of delicate orchestration and wistful elegance. The Magic Lantern’s debut album A World in a Grain of Sand takes in vividly self aware narratives that are arresting and reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens on tracks like the sighing “Laura’s Song” – which details rising at dawn, to sea faring epics like the oboe heavy seven minutes of “The Ship That Washes Away” – that’s more in the territory of Beruit and The Decemberists. Its a debut album with much to commend it too you dear reader.
The Magic Lantern have shared stages with some of the best experimental alternative bands in London to date, including fellow members of F-IRE Collective Room of Katinas and Leafcutter John as well as Mercury Prize nominated jazz ensemble Portico Quartet and cult singer Rozi Plain.
Catch The Magic Lantern live on their forthcoming EU tour:
Saturday 22 July: Secret Garden Party, Huntingdon
Friday 30 September: Espace B, Paris, France
Cut From Stone from tim travers hawkins on Vimeo.
