Magnetic Skies - Empire Falling
Review by Karl Magi
Overall Album Impressions
Magnetic Skies’ Empire Falling is nuanced, musically rich and emotionally engaging synthpop. It combines the vocal talents of Simon Kent with strong songwriting and a skilled band that weaves a musical tapestry from synths, guitars and drums. Darkness and light contrast and intertwine through this album to enchant the listener.
The first and most important factor that makes Empire Falling so enjoyable for me is Simon Kent's voice. It has a great breath of range, powerful expressiveness, and the ability to touch my heart. It carries the deep lyrics with a nuanced feeling that permeates every aspect of the music.
Another strong element that draws me to Empire Falling is the quality of the songwriting. It explores all of the complexities and contradictions of being human with well-chosen words. I enjoy the way in which a whole complicated welter of feelings can coexist in one song. This is emotive, adult synthpop and I appreciate it.
Lenin Alegria on drums, Jo Womar on synths and Carlos Aguilar on guitars combine their musical abilities to create a lush and intensely layered sonic tapestry. I enjoy the way in which each musical element interlocks with the others to provide strong support for the singing and songwriting.
My Favourite Songs Analyzed
“Into Paradise” comes to life as radiantly gleaming synth flashes out a tenderly flowing melody above Lenin Alegria’s solidly throbbing drums and dense bass. Simon Kent’s softly expressive voice carries a wonderfully gentle melody as Jo Womar’s luminous synth glistens above the pulsing low end.
The chorus rises in a caressing cloud along with the softly twining lead synth melody as the low end adds shape. The vocals are smooth and yearning as trickling synth flickers through as the drums and bass guide the song.
Simon Kent has an enfolding quality in his voice as the music moves onward and now there’s airy gliding behind the vocals as the bursting drums are joined by Carlos Aguilar’s guitar calling out while the drifting lead synth sails through to end the song with the vocals.
Sometimes love becomes an irresistible tide that sweeps us along. The storyteller talks about watching the way the song’s subject moves and feels their pull, adding that she doesn’t think it’s a sin as “the game begins.” The other person’s smile makes her feel high along with “the scent and the skin.” Time grows tight and she realizes that if she shuts her eyes, it’ll end up with her finding “I’m into paradise.”
Now the narrator is trembling, realizing that it is “only fear” but she can see something solid in their connection. Their eyes grow unfocused as the ocean is “calling us on to the edge of time, blurring lines.” An unknown scent fills the air and there's “sugar on lips, sugar on hips.” The narrator concludes by saying “love, look at it all fade away.”
Rapidly driving bass moves along with undulating, elevated synth in an interlocking pattern as hard-hitting drums punch in to open “Fading Lights.” Simon Kent’s fills his voice with a desolate ache to it as it carries a melody full of longing.
A synth with an elevated flare carries a melancholy melodic line. The chorus rises with yearning above a solid drum and bass oscillation and the guitar drives forward. Tautly winding synth cries out and rounded notes form a steady, tangling pulse. There’s a hint of hope in Simon Kent’s hurting voice as the guitar unwinds in a trembling melody.
I enjoy the way in which the chorus climbs with impassioned strength. The background synth has a string-like quality as it twines through the song. Tenderness and need fills the vocals before the chorus bursts out again. The huge drums splash in as the string-like synth carries the wistful and emotive melody. The song ends with Simon Kent’s plaintive tones.
The storyteller paints an image of “falling through the sky” as they are like lights fading away. He adds that they now need to “take it home.” He touches the other person’s hand and now they are “moving cold.”
The narrator asks the song’s subject to hold him, even though “you feel like ice.” He has to take the other person home and away from the night life as they are “lost in a scene and flying way too high.” The song’s subject is being pulled down by its gravity and the narrator asks if they can feel it coming on.
The song’s subject wants to be warmed by the sun and is “hit with echoes.” The narrator encourages them to “put out the dark, turn on the light” because they got in over their head and lost the fight. He concludes by reminding them to not “let it fade away.”
“Empire Falling” starts as a full note that extends as strings sing a warmly melancholy melody while guitar gleams in the distance. Simon Kent’s voice has a vulnerable quality to which I am drawn as it carries the wistful, lost-sounding melody.
Drums add motion while electric bass twangs. The vocals gain power and depth as the luminous string-like synth sings the mournful melody while strong drums pulsate.
Simon Kent captures the desolation in the words as the bass chugs while drums add form. Vibrating synth echoes out along with a high, warning sound as the song flows onward. The drums drive in along with the scudding bass and the guitar rings in a wandering solo with a haunting feeling as the strings plane in easy motion while drums bounce and flourish.
Sometimes when life seems settled, a single event comes along to throw it into turmoil. Our narrator speaks of being with the song’s subject laying on a beach, drifting in time as there was no fear and “our lives were in our hands.” Things moved slowly and everything was under control. He talks about “chasing the days away.”
Now the storyteller says that he watched “a world come rushing in like an empire building.” The storyteller speaks about running to the beat and getting lost as the city calls to him. Things fell into a “twist of lies” and he lost the battle, never thinking that “the end would be in sight.”
There’s nothing left to be said as truth has gone out the window, the narrator adds that “it could take a lifetime to make this right.” He has seen the world come “crashing down like an empire falling, lost in the speed of life."
Gigantic, massively pulsating bass joins punching drums in a propulsive pattern as the female singer’s emotive and powerful voice opens "You Shine On.” Simon Kent intensely expressive vocals carry a melody with a dark weight to it above the explosive drums and reverberant bass.
The chorus glistens and exudes hopeful emotion while Jo Womar’s voice adds a softening quality. The guitar cries out as the drums pulsate and Simon Kent has a shadow over his voice.
The chorus flies out with radiance and the guitar carries an angular melody with an ominous feeling in it. The vocal melody has a pessimistic air and strings intertwine. I enjoy the chorus as it contrasts darkness with rising light and a dreaming quality before the song ends.
Sometimes deep love banishes everything else in its wake. The teller of this tale talks about the “emptiness inside the laughter in their smiles” and how those people push love away. All he wants to see is the other person and he feels like he’s “in heaven when you shine on.” He feels himself falling out of the temporal.
Our narrator asks if he’s in heaven or dreaming as he sees “heaven in your eyes.” He wants to let people fall away as he decides to “surrender to the game.” He adds that they are challenging the stars and he feels the emotion coming onward. The narrator adds that he’s “in heaven when you shine on.”
“Darker Night” opens as lush arpeggios spin broadly and guitar adds depth around them. Giant drums smack into the music as effulgent synth glints. Simon Kent’s trembling vocals carry a melody tinged with an aching feeling as illumination pours from a delicate, raised synth.
The bass presses on with propulsive force and angular guitar slices in. Simon Kent has a compelling, deep feeling in his voice as it cries out with melancholy. Drums shape the music and sparkling synth carries a mournful feeling as the low end pulses. Guitar twists through with a wandering sensation and metallic synth pours light with a hint of something ominous.
Life sometimes spirals into tense, unsettled moments driven by another person. The narrator tells the other person to “swallow hard, fight the fever.” He says that they are “as warm as ice” and he’s not buying it. He talks about the dark road and asks if it is in shadow.
Our storyteller says the other person won’t slow down as they are far too shallow, moving into “the darker night.” He talks about the other person standing by themselves and “pushing out for someone’s danger.” He speaks of sound being lost as the other person's eyes go wide. He concludes, “You’re breathing fast and you feel the wire.”
Resonant, slowly rippling synth flows into open space to commence “Not A Fire.” Quickly driving drums hit as string-like synth calls out in a well-crafted, elegiac melody cut by the guitar as it soars.
Simon Kent calls out in a tender vocal as the twisting synth in the background trails through. Yearning fills the vocal melody as the drums pulse with ease. The strings unwind smoothly and guitar dances in.
Simon Kent lets his voice caress as organ-like synth adds a warm quality to the music and the drumbeat drives on. The chorus leaps up with in passionate feeling as the strings sing out fully and distorted drums throb and the guitar cries out again, dynamic and hypnotic, while the percussion drives.
Humanity is a bundle of contractions that make for a complex whole. The storyteller talks about how the world is “alight with a heartbeat” and exhales in time to it. He says that he’s come to “shed my skin and let a stranger in tonight” as his bridge burns. He doesn’t want to waste time but paradoxically can wait in line.
Love “not a fire” is coming to him. Our narrator speaks of being icy on the inside and a “butterfly on the outside.” He wonders if we ever really know anything and if we are “always left alone.” He adds that there is really no way to escape.
“Outside” starts as steadily vibrating chimes tremble while colossal bass shifts and a siren like sound rings out. Gigantic drums burst and guitar carries a melody with a tentative quality as piano-like notes echo out and Simon Kent’s voice is delicate and pained. I enjoy the vulnerability of the vocal melody.
The guitar carries the tenuous melody as heavy drums punch and ethereal voices drift out as the bass slips along. Simon Kent’s voice has an emotional depth while the melody is full of mournful expression. String-like synth unfurls and the cosmic vocals drift while giant drums shape the song and piano adds more illumination before the song ends.
Sometimes we all need an escape from the chaos that surrounds us in the world. The narrator wants to shut out light and time and float into quiet. He adds that “I want to feel so high. I can’t resist, I need the danger release.”
Our storyteller wants to be allowed to “fade into bliss” after pushing away the world’s violence. He reaches out into space-time, surrounded by what he needs. He talks about leaving the world behind, adding “skin on skin, let the amnesia begin.” He concludes, “I can’t watch the chaos, the lies, the weapons, the sin. Let’s leave it all outside!”
Enfolding notes drift together as percussion softly taps with a metallic sound to open “Give Me Back That Moment.” Emotive guitar slowly slides and Simon Kent skillfully captures tremulous emotion in his voice as it caresses.
Drums create a shaping motion and the guitar slips past in a gentle glide. Simon Kent carries a wish in his voice and a chorus of mingled vices adds a reverent quality. The guitar melody is pained and full of yearning and the drums tick on.
Simon Kent sings with a soft touch as the bass adds support and soft-edged synth circles. The vocal chorus intertwines and the drums pulse. Again the guitar slides in with heart-tugging emotion and the song drifts to an end.
This song asks us if we are really living in the moment. The teller of this tale encourages us to open our minds and head outside for a walk. He adds that we should “brush the sleep out of your eyes and look inside.” He asks us if we are living now, adding “give me back the light, give me back that moment.”
The narrator asks us if we left our dreams behind us "lost in time” and if we’ve lost the feeling and had the world pass us by. He again asks, “Are you living now?”
Conclusion
Empire Falling takes us on a complicated, intense and emotionally engaging journey through the human condition. The way in which all of the different components interact with each other creates music that pulls me in and hold my attention throughout the album.
