Review: Magic Number - Badly Written Songs (Atjazz Record Company)

What could be better than another album on Atjazz Record Company that brought you singles by Magic Number last year?  Only the full album itself and it's now out!

It's no secret that we loved 'Good Morning Sunshine' (see review HERE) and 'Better' (see review HERE) and I'm pleased to say that these two tracks do no overwhelm the other excellent seven tracks on the album entitled 'Badly Written Songs'.

Of course, what all these tracks do is to reinforced that the album's title is firmly in the self-deprecating tongue in cheek-to-cheek on a dancefloor as Magic Number (aka Ross Hillard) has brought all his experience of working with the likes of Louie Vega, DJ Spen, Kerri Chandler, Lay-Far and Atjazz (to name a few) to produce a soul-house album that musically have has elements of Matthew Herbert with the horns of a Big Band together with the vocals of Sophia Marshall who has a vocal style that reminds of Róisín Murphy, Alison Goldfrapp, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and at times, a Lana Del Rey.

'Thinkin' Bout' and 'SFS' are very Herbert 'jazz' and 'SFS' could be yet another single as could 'Loving You' that's is more in the mainstream and I'd say 'Was This Love' is very radio earworm you won't be able to get it out of your head (love the vibes on this one); and then 'All I Ever Wanted' isn't too far behind all of them with those deep synths and bassline. 

Whilst it's all very clever, 'Exit' might be the most obvious dance track with a great some catchy hook and I suspect Mr. Atjazz (Martin Iveson) must have been more than enthusiastic hearing this album by his mate as you can see in you minds eye/ear that he's thinking of a remix or to: both of their address books must be full of canidates but in all honesty, if that is in the future, there's no rush as this album/all these tracks are going to be on many a chart listing this year and if they can make the summer festival circuit, they're going to be very busy indeed.

Artist: Magic Number
Title: Badly Written Songs
Release date: 9th February, 2024

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC240AD Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Magic Number - Good Morning Sunshine ft. Sophia Marshall (Atjazz Record Company)

You may recall that quite a few years ago, Ross "Magic Number" Hillard was releasing his music on labels like the Derby based Mantis Recordings and Stereo Deluxe (the European home of our favourites like Glyn "Bigga" Bush and Sascha "Megablast" Weisz).

So you're thinking, Derby, that must mean Martin "Atjazz" Iveson and you'd be right as his label have got all their horns in a row for a a big summer hit that's full of uplifting 'new day' positive promise with 'Good Morning Sunshine' fronted with the vocals of Sophia Marshall 

So poppy and bouncey it could be a breakfast cereal anthem or the most commerical of morning radio/TV broadcasts.

Very different to the label's last release, Abel's 'Can't Let You Go' featuring Rona Ray (see review HERE) but this is going to be a huge in all over and you just know at some stage that they'll be an Atjazz remix.

Apparently there's a animated video to follow this and there's a Magic Number album coming soon; I'm ready for 'Day Of The Dead'/Mardi Gras now - GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!

Artist: Magic Number

Title: Good Morning Sunshine

Release date: 18th August, 2023

Label : Atjazz Record Company

Catalog Number : ARC240ADS1 Digital / Bandcamp