“Fragments of the 5th Element” – Magic Pie
8.7/10 | Progressive Rock
After a Spring packed with releases and a solid start to June, I was really disappointed by the lack of exciting albums over the Summer. As a result, I spent most of the past few months finding albums from earlier this year as well as diving into modern prog (thank you Thank You Scientist). This search introduced me to the first Magic Pie single this year, “The Man Who Had It All,” and instantly marked August 30th as the day the drought would end.
It’s always exciting to hear a song that completely enraptures you, especially when it comes from a band you’ve never heard of before. It’s even more exciting when it is the lead single for an upcoming album. Part of me wonders if I like “The Man…” so much because of this excitement coupled with the relatively stagnant period it came out in, but mostly I think it’s just a phenomenal song. The closest I’ve personally come to this before was “Hanging In” by We Were Promised Jetpacks, the lead single for their 2018 album The More I Sleep the Less I Dream. It was another 5 minute song from an unfamiliar yet well established band that blew me away and got me excited for what ended up being one of my favorite albums of the year. The similarities stop there, but there is a key takeaway: Fragments of the 5th Element is one of the most enjoyable albums I’ve heard this year.
With five songs, one epic, 46 minutes of exquisite songwriting and musicianship, Magic Pie has delivered an album with everything I love about music. With university back in swing, writing has been a challenge, but this album was too good to not talk about. It’s hard for me to try to describe this music, but I want it on record that I love it all the same.
In case it wasn’t clear, I think that opening track “The Man Who Had It All” might be one of my favorite songs so far this year, beginning with a torrent of synths, before calming down to piano with vocals, before a crushing chorus. I love the use of background vocals throughout the song, adding a layer of bombastic theatricality, especially in the jauntier section roughly halfway through the song. Not only are the background vocals fantastic, as Eirikur Hauksson delivers a tour de force that brings the song together.
This quality in instrumentation, songwriting, and vocal performance is found throughout the remaining four songs as well. “P & C” delivers a somewhat heavier fare, while still making time for delightful keyboard solos and a more introspective exit, until kicking back into the guitar to take it home. “Table for Two” switches the lyricism from alcohol to love without sacrificing any of the fun from the previous two tracks and continues to provide an amalgamation of styles by putting a slower chorus into the driving momentum. Lastly, “Touched by an Angel” is a slow burner with a soaring chorus and intricate guitars.
After those strong songs, the album closes out with its epic. Epics are one of the greatest parts of the prog rock genre, partly due to how hard it is to describe them. This one, however makes it extremely easy. It’s a 23 minute song called “The Hedonist.” You know what you’re getting from it, and if you enjoyed the first half of the album, you’ll enjoy the half-of-the-album ending as well. From the wild instrumentation to the slick production to the catchy choruses, ranging a variety of emotions, Fragments of the 5th Element is an album that has it all.
Koda Music 