Album Review: John Grant - Love Is Magic

This album comes wrapped in a cover that features John Grant dealing a spectacularly gonzo moment in a way that has us dropping the needle on this record with some trepidation. With every album since Queen Of Denmark, Grant has blown off traditional band arrangements opting instead for a purely electronic palette of sound. Produced by synth guru Benge and Midlake’s Paul Alexander, Love Is Magic completely shakes off any remaining vestments of indie-pop as Grant deals an album that tries its hand at translating '80s electro-pop for our current times. The Numan-esque and Yazoo-style hooks and wobbly solos are a lusciously retro flourish on Grant’s songwriting.

Leaving behind the themes of unrequited love that feature in his early material, Grant is now adrift in the singles scene and applying his acerbic lyrical wit to those who are in his orbit. By the time that Grant gets around to describing the fuckwits that surround him, it’s clear that Prince Charming has not yet swept him off his feet just yet. While Grant’s lyrics shine with biting sarcasm, at the end of the day he concedes that Love Is Magic and that it isn’t so tragic. All of Grant’s albums are peppered with ballads that really show off some strong writing skills and Love Is Magic is certainly no exception. Beyond some of the freak show kitsch found on this album, songs like Touch And Go, which reflects on the trials and tribulations of Chelsea Manning, sees Grant delivering sincere lyrics to heartbreaking effect and this is really what he does best.