Album round-up: A pop dream

(Morning Star, Saturday 04 June 2005)

The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers

(Heavenly)

They're brother and sister, no they're not, they're married. Hang on, that's a different band.

The Magic Numbers really are brothers and sisters - Romeo and sister Michele and Sean and sister Angela.

If that's too cute to bear, you should see the video to breakout single Forever Lost - they look like the people who ate Abba and they sound like pop's young dream's going to take them far.

The aforementioned single is a harmonious, singalong light-infused daydream - and it's not the only one.

The Mule twangs in like a country hit and Love Me Like You might have English teachers all over the land holding their overworked heads in their hands, but since when did pop have to be grammatically correct?

Closing with Try, a gospel-flavoured corker, The Magic Numbers have produced a near-perfect album.

Never outstaying their welcome, Romeo's songs display a gift for restraint and economy and are all the sweeter for it. Four is clearly the magic number.