Magic Fire

Unlike previous Stray Birds recordings, Magic Fire is mostly devoid of anything especially magical or combustible. Produced – or, more accurately, over-produced – by multi-Grammy-winning producer Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson) and similarly multi-Grammied engineer Justin Guip, the album is a slickly packaged collection of formulaic indie-folk tunes punctuated by Nashvillean hootenanny riffs and the occasional country lick. Despite the fine mezzo voice of lead singer Maya de Vitry, who also plays fiddle, guitar and banjo, and smoothly executed harmony singing from Charles Muench (banjo, bass) and Oliver Craven (fiddle, guitar, mandolin), most of the melodies are indistinguishable from every other Americana band's playlist. The lyrical themes plumb the depths of navel-gazing banality and repeat. There's one decent track that doesn’t completely concuss the skull. ‘Hands of Man’ is a reconditioned steel-driving Appalachian ballad, which delivers a fair measure of gravitas in its deeply wrought groove. But this marks the highlight of an album that will probably delight many fans of The Stray Birds who always wanted the band to sound like The Band.