This disc is nearly perfect. Great songwriting, indelible hooks, awesome vocal arrangements, and just enough je ne sais quoi to keep things from getting too sweet. There are a number of new bands that are wearing their SoCal pop influences on their sleeves, but this is the one you want. Hal, The Thrills, and especially dios (malos) come close, but these guys understand the difference between being influenced by a particular style and mimicry. I listen to this more than any disc released this year and never tire of it. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes great harmonies, and great pop music.

As an aside to "radical hippy"...since when have angst and darkness been a prerequisite to decent songwriting? I suggest you change your "prescription", and give this another listen.

The Magic Numbers comprises two pairs of brother/sister siblings from the UK with a sound that hearkens back to the sunny, upbeat, melodic sound of the 60s. They remind me of The Mamas and the Papas, The Beach Boys, and more recently, The Thrills.

Their sound is a folk/pop/rock sound with real instruments and richly interwoven harmonies, a real delight to the ear.

`Forever lost' is a typical example; sunny upbeat song with racing jangly guitars, which belies the somber nature of the lyrics which deal with heartbreak.

Other standouts are the equally upbeat `Love me like you', and the excellent mellow guitar ballad 'Love's a game' with excellent harmonies.

Great to find music with great catchy melody, clever lyrics, and little or no gimmicks. An outstanding debut, and another great find from the UK.

This album is tied with "Songs for Silverman" as best pop album of 2005 in my opinion. I know that overrated troupe known as Architecture in Helsinki is getting a lot of attention, but that album is as vapid and frail as this one is full and lush. Romeo Stodard has clearly ingested a lot of Fleetwood Mac, Beatles, Beach Boys, Carole King, and Mamas-and-the-Papas albums over the years, yet his songwriting is still original and fresh. I understand why some wouldn't like it (too derivitive, too precious, fey, etc.). I cannot deny any of these accusations (at times the melodies and hooks sound like songs you heard somewhere but aren't sure where and the lyrics can be a bit easy-to-please), but still, come on! You'd have to have a heart of ice not to love this album. Until The Shins make their next album or Beulah get back together, this is a perfect album for pop lovers.

With Beach-Boys-caliber harmonics that are playful, gorgeous, and even slightly wayward, The Magic Numbers have made 2005's best album. Only slightly winning out over Anthony and the Johnsons' "I Am a Bird Now" and maybe the Fiona Apple album we never got to hear, this CD is a gift. When I first heard it, it all kind of ran together, but after repeated listens, I realize that only its consistency made it seem so. No 2 songs are alike in any way, and the music is just beautiful. Its like what The White Stripes would have sounded like in grade school, had they hung out with Weezer all day eating peppermints and listening to "Pet Sounds." Amazing.

Brilliant, just brilliant. Thats what I thought after first hearing this album and, many months later, I still feel the same way. A breath of fresh air to the stale charts where everything sounds the same. Sure, its just like any 'best of 60s summer' albums but is that a bad thing? Not in my mind. The Magic Numbers may not be original but what they do they do well. Very well.

I love the lively and fun songs here. This is always great to play to cheer myself up. The lyrics are quite good but it is the melodies and harmonies that make this album stand out. The reason why I didnt give it 5 stars is because, sadly, I feel that the album begins to lull after the halfway mark. Whilst the first part is lively and full of fun and frolics, the latter part seems to drop into mediocrity with only occasional highlights.

This is still a must buy, if only to relieve the 60's whilst hearing something new, especially if you were never around in those days. Catchy tunes that will stick in your head and make you hum, whistle and smile all day. Rush out now to buy yourself a copy.