MAJIC - "Change"

Dec 29, 20222 min read

Reviewed by Aaron Cloutier

Los Angeles, California-based rock outfit Majic gets their ballad on with the stirringly atmospheric "Change." A three-minute lamentation on time gone by and how it's never too late to take a different turn in life.

Guitarist Wil J Hair sets the stage as he lays down a gentle bed of arpeggios played on a nylon string acoustic. He is delicately maneuvering through a mournful progression in Em. This softness gives ample room for singer Dave Annan to stretch out as he laments on themes of losing not only time but one's self, only to find themself once again. His gravelly voice is equally tortured and effectively emotive as he wails through the song's massive hook.

"Seasons Change. You better find yourself again. So much time gone and yet you find love."

His voice brings to mind the timber of someone like Bryan Addams but wielded much more affectingly.

The arrangement itself is very straightforward. The stripped-down nature of the guitar/vocal-only pairing only brings you in further. I was expecting a rhythm section to come crashing in by verse two but was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. It's a bare-bones track that stands on its own quite well. The only inclusion that can be heard towards the end is soaring lead guitar lines drenched in delay as they decorate the aforementioned elements. The tone is satisfyingly warm and round.

The music, as a whole, takes on different qualities throughout. The feelings range from woeful and despondent to hauntingly ethereal, and the concise nature of the composition and song length leaves you wanting more. I found myself going back for repeated listens. Give this one a spin. You'll find yourself doing the same.