Shadow on the Door landed mid-December, but it sat neglected in my listening pile—a shame, because now that I’ve given it a proper spin, it has become one of the more enjoyable new records I’ve come across in recent days.

Magic User, a Bay Area quartet, are clearly guitar obsessives in the best way. They can jangle, slack, shred, gaze, ballad, and straight-up rock—sometimes all within the same track. Their debut album draws on a wealth of classic indie rock influences (RIYL: Purling Hiss, Dinosaur Jr.), yet they bring enough personality to carve out their own space.

Shadow on the Door is out now via Dandy Boy Records.

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