Part Monster

Piano Magic | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 29, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Important Records
• ASIN: B000OYC3AW
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,855 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

"A band confident with seemingly limitless quality craftsmanship and recurrent reinvention." -- Delusions of Adequacy

"Stealthy witching hour atmospherics are utterly overwhelming." -- Uncut

"Splendidly ethereal." -- Brainwashed

Part-Monster, Piano Magic's seventh "proper" album, easily lives up to its title. Though Piano Magic is generally tarred with the brushes of "ambient," "coldwave," or even "ghost rock," Part-Monster has its fill of all-out, near-brutal dynamic intensity. Indeed, anyone who's witnessed PM live over the past two years will testify that the shadowy introspection of the group's records is camouflage for a beast of many teeth. Bringing in Guy Fixsen of Laika as producer clearly marked the band's intention for a more raw, powerful sound, as Fixsen has taken the production and/or engineer chair for such luminaries as The Pixies, Moonshake, The Breeders, Joy Zipper, Stereolab, Lush, and most notably, My Bloody Valentine's Loveless.

That's not to say that Piano Magic has entirely turned the amps up to eleven. Part-Monster gracefully balances cathartic noise with romantic paeans to the band's favorite subject--the cruel, tragic side of London and the city's most graceful outcast, Joseph Carey Merrick (The Elephant Man). In its tenth year of existence, Piano Magic can look back on a varied and accomplished discography most bands wouldn't manage in a lifetime of trying. Records for 4AD, Darla, Morr Music, Important, and many more mark the band's way, in addition to the soundtrack to Bigas Luna's Son De Mar (2001) and performances at some of the biggest festivals in Europe (Benicassim, Primavera, BAM).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Their best perhaps, February 23, 2011

By 

M. T. A. (Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Part Monster (Audio CD)

Being a gigantic Piano Magic-fan makes it hard to be sort of objective, but this album really blwe me away on hearing it. Great songs and a beautiful mixture between the 80's influenced PM and their older more melancholic style. If you're new, this one is a great way to start! Fans already have this one of course.

4.0 out of 5 stars Precious disillusion, July 17, 2007

By 

Noel Pratt "Kaviraj" (Washington, D.C., and better places) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Part Monster (Audio CD)

...or something like that: the mixed sentiment the music and lyrics seem to convey, without overanalyzing. That's what comes to mind after three listens to this record, a middle-quality PM in terms of overall freshness and effect. Which is to say that (I think) any fan of the band should be pretty happy with the purchase. And IF you like it, you may like even more the "sister" album by Future Conditional. Johnson and David-Gillou still making a good tandem. I no longer fear the band's slipping ability apparent on the last CD. It's good we don't have to wait five years or so between offerings, either.