Magic Numbers

They may look like hippies and at times, sound like hippies, but London, England’s the Magic Numbers are merely just a team of talented siblings who love to spread cheer. Like the Polyphonic Spree — minus the religious nuance, 20 members or so and the robes, of course — this quartet possess a wholehearted pop flair that is impossible to refuse. Led by the bearded Romeo Stodart, the band (also featuring his sister Michele, and siblings Angela and Sean Gannon) have an all-encompassing vision that is heavily in debt to pop, folk and country of the ’60s era — when everything was nice. And while their optimism is relentless and never gives up, the urge to throw this self-titled debut out the window of your car never comes. "Forever Lost” is a perfect pop song that, despite the lyrics about a crumbled romance, keeps its composure thanks to a killer "Be My Baby” breakdown. "Love Me Like You” is the song Jan & Dean needed to overcome the Beach Boys, while "This Love” brings the pace of the album to a standstill so the band can take a stab at nailing the super-ballad, which they do with tear jerking ease. This is one merry spell you need to fall under.