Tag: Las Robertas

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: JOVM Mainstay MAGON Shares Pixies-Esque “Solem Sequi”

Over the past handful of years, I’ve spilled a copious amount of virtual ink covering the remarkably prolific, Israeli-born singer/songwriter, musician and JOVM mainstay MAGON. After the release of his fifth album, 2022’s A Night in Bethlehem, the Israeli-born artist, along with his partner relocated to Costa Rica, where he continued his ongoing prolific period with three more albums, 2022’s Enter By The Narrow Gate, last year’s Did You Hear the Kids? and Chasing Dreams.

Chasing Dreams saw the JOVM mainstay collaborating with local indie rock outfit Las Robertas, who acted as his backing band for the recording sessions. Sonically, the album continued a slow-burn expansion of his sound with the incorporation of string arrangements, which add a lush and dreamily cinematic quality to the material. 

The JOVM mainstay’s recently released eighth album The Writing’s On The Wall is a bit of a return to form — but while continuing to push his sound in new directions: According to the JOVM mainstay, the material is a fusion of hallucinogenic re-imaginings of 70s soft rock, oddball outsider jams and laid-back indie fare.

Earlier this year, I wrote about the album’s first single “Breakthrough Blitz,” which sees MAGON pairing his laconic and easy-going delivery with a simple yet propulsive backbeat, glistening keys and a bluesy, Keith Richards-like guitar riff with a big hook. Thematically, the song touches upon the freedom and connection found in simple, everyday moments with the sort of contented sigh that can only comes from someone, who has lived a full and messy-life — and understands that he is truly very lucky. 

The Writing’s On The Wall‘s second and latest single “Solem Sequi” is Pixies-esque track anchored around a looping, strummed guitar melody, MAGON’s laconic delivery singing dreamily introspective lyrics paired with his uncanny knack for crafting enormous hooks.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: JOVM Mainstay MAGON Shares Dreamy and Whimsical “Under The Sea”

Over the past couple of years, I’ve managed to spill quite a bit of ink on the remarkably prolific, Israeli-born, singer/songwriter, musician and JOVM mainstay MAGON.

Shortly after the release of his fifth album, A Night in Bethlehem, the Israeli-born artist, along with his partner and young daughter relocated to Costa Rica, where he continued an ongoing period of remarkable prolificacy with his sixth album, Did You Hear the Kids?

Did You Hear The Kids? featured what may arguably have been the broadest and most expansive sonic palette of any of his previously released work — and a collaboration with Paris-based indie duo SOS Citizen. 

The Israeli-born, Costa Rican-based artist recently found creative and musical simpatico with local indie rock outfit Las Robertas, which led to his seventh album Chasing Dreams, which is slated for a December 7, 2023 release.

Chasing Dreams reportedly sees the JOVM mainstay continuing a slow-burn expansion of his sound with the addition of string arrangements, which helps add a lush quality to the material. 

Last month, I wrote about the album’s first single, album title track “Chasing Dreams,” a song built around strummed acoustic guitar, shimmering pedal steel and gentle drumming paired with Magon’s dreamily laconic delivery. Continuing a run of material that seems indebted to Exile on Main Street-era Rolling Stones and Harvest-era Neil Young, “Chasing Dreams” features some subtle nods to country and folk. And much like the material on his last two albums, the single is rooted in the sort of deep, heartfelt introspection informed by living a well-lived life and getting older, with the song touching upon themes of maturation, love and enjoying cherished family bonds while you have them.  

Chasing Dreams‘ second and latest single “Under the Sea” is a child-like lullaby that sounds a bit like Yellow Submarine and “Octopus Garden”– perhaps as a result of a lush, 60s psych rock-inspired arrangement performed by the JOVM mainstay and his new collaborators Las Robertas, and an unfussy production. But at its core, the song is rooted in the pure and whimsical sense of exploration and curiosity of childhood.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: JOVM Mainstay MAGON Shares Intimate and Introspective “Chasing Dreams”

Over the past couple of years, I’ve managed to spill quite a bit of ink on the remarkably prolific, Israeli-born, singer/songwriter, musician and JOVM mainstay MAGON. Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site during that period, you might recall that shortly after the release of his fifth album A Night in Bethlehem, the Israeli-born JOVM mainstay, along with his partner and young daughter relocated to Costa Rica, where he continued upon his long-held reputation of being prolific, and released his sixth album Did You Hear the Kids?

Did You Hear The Kids? featured what may arguably have been the broadest and most expansive sonic palette of any of his previously released work — and a collaboration with Paris-based indie duo SOS Citizen.

The Israeli-born, Costa Rican-based artist recently found creative and musical simpatico with local indie rock outfit Las Robertas, which led to his latest single, “Chasing Dreams,” the album title track of his forthcoming seventh album, Chasing Dreams.

Chasing Dreams reportedly sees the JOVM mainstay continuing a slow-burn expansion of his sound with the addition of string arrangements, which helps add a lush quality to the material.

Built around strummed acoustic guitar, shimmering pedal steel, gentle drumming paired with Magon’s dreamily laconic delivery, the JOVM mainstay’s latest single continues a run of material that sonically sounds a bit indebted to Exile on Main Street-era Rolling Stones and Harvest-era Neil Young with the song featuring nods to country, folk and psych rock. Much like the material on his latest two albums, “Chasing Dreams” is rooted in the deep, heartfelt introspection informed by getting older and living a life well-lived with the song touching upon themes of maturation, love and cherished family bonds.

The accompanying video for “Chasing Dreams” features tender and lovingly shot family footage filmed in Sinai, Egypt. The video offers an intimate look into the artist’s life and his personal journey.

Chasing Dreams is slated for a December 1, 2023 release.