Magic Bronson

Times are tough, and Magic Bronson is nervous. The Los-Angeles-born-and-based duo has spent its six years together soaking up what's going on in the world, and they're profoundly uneasy. Their response to most situations is to write a song, which is how the 2017 track "Nervous" sprang into life - and if you're new to Magic Bronson, "Nervous" is a good place to start. The itchy lyric - "All the things that make you nervous / Crooked cops and guilty verdicts / Fires, floods, parking permits" - is countered by an absolute swirling corker of a synthpop melody, and its earworm properties are pretty spectacular. Most Magic Bronsonsongs nail that same combination - stone-cold melody-making paired with lyrics that are provocative and sometimes trippy. What makes it special is that the duo - Matt Lieberman (bass, synths, most lyrics) and Michael Nicastro (vocals, synths, drum programming, production) - is constitutionally unable to write the same song twice. There's a wry, slacker-cool and slightly stones thread running through everything, but beyond that they never know quite what will come out of the pot once they're thrown in and stirred the ingredients. The only constants are fat bass, sumptuous choruses and lyrics that range from artful absurdism to pain old pure emotion, as expressed by two guys who've had a long day and need to vent.