Don't let your white dress wear you out

Continuing my trip back through the 2005 album charts.

06/11/05 : The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers

I might have owned this, but I'm not sure enough to fully claim it - I certainly heard it back in the day and I seem to recall I liked it enough, but not enough to remember anything about it obviously.

Ah - "Forever Lost" and "Love Me Like You" are the ones that I remembered and I think it's all pretty listenable, but I can see it won't be for everyone.  It's a jangly folky indie sound I quite like (I was reminded of The Shins) but I can see the argument that it's a bit twee.  I'd also say a lot of the songs could do with slight pruning because they go on for just a smidge too long and overstay their welcome - and the 124 minutes of the deluxe release was far more than anyone would ever need.  It's a very effective album cover though.

We're all the way down at #18 in the chart this week on their 21st week of a 43 week run with it having peaked at #7 in its debut week.  The top five this week were Westlife (a new entry), Robbie Williams, Rod Stewart (a new entry for an American songbook album which I didn't feel the need to listen to), Katherine Jenkins (another new entry I safely ignored) and a Prodigy best-of and the next highest new entry is a Blink 182 best-of (#6).

Wikipedia doesn't have a lot on the album but it surprised me by telling me they were English - I've seen them live so you really think I should have known that.  The critics generally liked the album, but it didn't do a lot away from here - #12 in Ireland was the best it managed elsewhere.  Their entry reminded me they walked off TOTP when Richard Bacon called them fat - and nobody ever walked off TOTP!

"Customers also listened to" Athlete, The Thrills, The Zutons and The Coral - all of whom share some elements with The Magic Numbers but I'm not sure I totally see the connection.  I didn't mind this at all and it was nice to be reminded of it, but at the same time I think I'm unlikely to revisit it - although I can see it would sound better on a nice summer evening than a cold and windy grey March day.

30/10/05 - A surprisingly successful album
13/11/05 - Offensively inoffensive

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