Magic Mirror (album)

Magic Mirror is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Pearl Charles. It was released on January 15, 2021, through Kanine Records.[9]

Magic Mirror
Studio album by
Pearl Charles
ReleasedJanuary 15, 2021 (2021-01-15)
Genre
Length36:58
LabelKanine
Pearl Charles chronology
Sleepless Dreamer
(2018)		 Magic Mirror
(2021)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[2]
Metacritic78/100[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Beats Per Minute79%[4]
Exclaim!8/10[5]
The Guardian[6]
The Independent[7]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[8]

Release

Pearl Charles announced the release of her second studio album on September 15, 2020.[10]

Singles

On September 15, 2020, Pearl Charles released the first single from the album, "What I Need".[9] In a press release of the single, Charles explained: "Have you ever stuck with something long after it was time to let go? "What I Need" explores this choice in terms of a breakup, though it could really be applied to any situation that is no longer serving you. It's the age-old story of wanting to stay in a comfortable relationship but knowing that you have to move on for personal growth, and the fear and uncertainty that being alone will bring, even though it's for the best."[10]

The second single "Take Your Time" was released on October 13, 2020.[11]

Critical reception

Magic Mirror was met with "generally favorable" reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 78 based on 7 reviews.[3] At AnyDecentMusic?, the release was given a 7.6 out of 10 based on 10 reviews.[2]

Writing for AllMusic, Timothy Monger stated: "Pearl Charles strikes a confident, if laid-back tone on Magic Mirror, her sophomore album. The production and arrangements throughout are impeccable, warm, and well-suited to the kind of thoughtful, low-key songwriting at which Charles excels. Magic Mirror is the kind of subtle record that reveals its pleasures through repeated listens. Even Charles' voice is a comfort."[1] At Beats Per Minute, Ana Leorne wrote: "The album embodies liberation in the profoundest of ways, a pondered life-changing move that is definitely not the product of naive hot-headedness. Led by warm and sparkly singles "What I Need", "Imposter", and "Take Your Time", Magic Mirror is deliciously referential whilst refusing to remain stuck in a particular time and space that only exists in selective memory.[4]

Jordan Currie at Exclaim! rated the release an 8 out of 10, writing "The singer-songwriter's second LP is a blissful journey of cosmic country, disco and poppy psych rock that dances its way into the new year. Magic Mirror is a young woman's trip through a whirlwind of self-reflection and self-discovery."[5] At The Independent, Roisin O'Connor said: "Influenced heavily by the sun-drenched sounds of Sixties and Seventies California, Magic Mirror incorporates bright, cosmic synths and classic rock motifs, along with brilliant, subtle flexes of country slide guitar. While Charles frequently plays with themes of self-doubt and setbacks, the buoyant instrumentation provides a freewheeling sense of optimism."[7]

John Amen, writing for Cultural Daily, gave the album a score of 7.9/10, concluding: "The winning elements of Magic Mirror are Pearl Charles’s supple voice and her knack for reimagining the classic templates of 60’s and 70’s singer-songwriters. Charles blends resourcefulness and a contemporary flair, displaying what might be dubbed an historically informed originality."[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Pearl Charles.

Magic Mirror track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Only for Tonight"4:32
2."What I Need"3:24
3."Imposter"3:25
4."Don't Feel Like Myself"3:57
5."Magic Mirror"2:58
6."Slipping Away"3:49
7."All the Way"2:56
8."Take Your Time"3:45
9."Sweet Sunshine Wine"4:10
10."As Long as You're Mine"4:02
Total length:36:58

References
  1. Monger, Timothy. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  2. "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  3. "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  4. Leorne, Ana (January 18, 2021). "Beats Per Minute Review". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  5. Currie, Jordan (January 13, 2021). "Pearl Charles Brings Sulky Country to the Disco on 'Magic Mirror'". Exclaim!. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  6. Kheraj, Alim (January 15, 2021). "Pearl Charles: Magic Mirror review – LA singer's sugar and strife". The Guardian. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  7. O'Connor, Roison (January 14, 2021). "Pearl Charles review, Magic Mirror: An impressive and mature album with a freewheeling sense of optimism". The Independent. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  8. Loftin, Steven (January 11, 2021). "Pearl Charles finds a dazzling new sheen filled with lessons in love on Magic Mirror". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  9. Pickard, Joshua (September 15, 2020). "Pearl Charles Announces New Album". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  10. Kenneally, Cerys (September 15, 2020). "Pearl Charles announces new LP with lead track "What I Need"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  11. Kenneally, Cerys (October 13, 2020). "Pearl Charles releases new single "Take Your Time"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  12. "Pearl Charles Blends Tribute and Innovation". Cultural Daily. 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
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