I’ve sat down to write this review a few times. However the problem is, every time I slip The Magician’s Daughter into my stereo, I forget to make any notes. Not because there’s nothing noteworthy about Mama Kin’s sophomore effort, but because the music tends to take over.
My analytical brain is rendered defenseless against her haunting voice and uncanny knack for crafting a song. It seems wrong to dissect the album note by note or tune by tune. It’s much easier to just listen and appreciate it. And so I do, until next time that I intend to write the review and realise that I never did get around to taking those notes.
I really love this eclectic collection of songs. Mama seems to rail against being placed in any box. She serves up retro soul, gentle country, sultry blues, and more with ease, borrowing from whatever musical styles she deems best to tell her stories. The term “warrior songs” came to mind on one of the many occasions I’ve listened to The Magician’s Daughter, and I can’t seem to get rid of it. There’s a lot of feminine strength here, the strength of loving someone, of being a mother, of feeling loss and living through it. I was so struck by the tender intimacy in tracks like “Bosom of Our Bed” and “The River as She Runs,” the stoic pain of “Cherokee Boy,” and the explosive power of “The Fire.”
Mama Kin proves she’s a real musical force with her exquisite second album The Magician’s Daughter. It’s released across Australia on February 22.
Image source: Liveguide