In an age of vigorously-marketed rag-trade clothes horses, Trinidad/New York/London collective the Magic Numbers are an anomaly; a word-of-mouth phenomenon whose affable live shows have been compared to happy clappy religious experiences and whose music--an unfashionable blend of soft country pop with Fifties and Sixties inflections--is evidently more important to them than the intercession of style gurus and hairdressers. The "kids" are converted and the band's self-titled debut album may prove to be the most surprising success story of the year. Comprising two pairs of siblings, the Stodarts (singer and songwriter Romeo; the girth of a bear, the hair and beard of a friendly fairy-tale giant and the voice of a mouse; sister Michelle on bass, keyboards, vocals) and the Gannons (the equally hirsute Sean on drums; sister Angela on vocals, melodica and percussion) the familial ties shine through in the wholesome, harmonious nature of it all, from the skiffle of "Long Legs" and the upbeat Undertones-flavoured pop of "Love Me Like You" to the melting, dreamy teen frustration dialogues of "Love's a Game" and "I See You, You See Me". The Magic Numbers offer conclusive proof that math isn't boring. --Kevin Maidment
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