We stand on the brink of December, and we\u2019ve cautiously started working on our Year-end-lists. It’s a time when late-year releases knock on the door of music bloggers, sometimes causing a bit of upheaval. Yet, occasionally, a release pops up that may bring the whole house down.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m talking about Migration Magic<\/em>, the debut LP by Montreal\u2019s Feeling Figures. This quartet unfurls a highly charged brand of outsider pop, weaving together elements of garage, (post)punk, twee, and indie rock into something that transcends categorization. Like a lost Velvet Underground record released by Flying Nun perhaps? But that description captures only part of the scrappy, ramshackle and wonderful appeal of Migration Magic<\/em>. At the heart of Feeling Figures’ sonic landscape lies the songwriting synergy between founding member Zakary Slax and Kay Moon. Having Joe Chamandy and Thomas Molander of Retail Simps in the mix as well is kind of a big deal as well.<\/p>\n The raw, unpolished sound – mostly recorded live, the multilinguality and dual vocalism, it all contributes to the allure of Feeling Figures. Some of the songs feel like classics the first time you hear them. That applies to the original tracks, but in equal measure to the two covers. Feeling Figures turn Bobby Fuller’s Don\u2019t Ever Let Me Know<\/em> into an indie anthem with a chorus that practically demands to be belted out. The band’s cover of Harmonium’s Pour Un Instant<\/em> is an even larger departure from the original, and it is a definite improvement and one of the funnest songs on the LP.<\/p>\n Listening to Migration Magic<\/em> is like visiting a Theme Park full of wild rides, sweet treats, relaxed down time, short queues surrounded by the coolest people, and you never want the day to end. LP out now through K Records and Perennial.<\/p>\n