Words and graphics by: Josh Reynes
Spring hath sprung and so has Magdalena Bay, back with a third offering of their beloved mini mix EP saga, mini mix vol. 3. Six months from 2022’s deluxe reissue of their debut album Mercurial World a.k.a. my pick for favorite album of 2021; it seems like a lifetime since then. From a Charli XCX tour opening, a Coachella 2023 booking, and a placement in Netflix’s Wednesday — my manifestations worked; Magdalena Bay blew up. The Florida-grown, LA-based indie-pop duo keeps it short but sweet with a 15-minute listen that could embolden YOU to charge your VHS camera and Have a Mag Bay Summer.
You re-enter the MBCU (Magdalena Bay Cinematic Universe) via Slug Song a languid and dreamy cut from “Boyboss and Indie Darling”, the bandmates Matthew Lewin and Mica Tenenbaum, respectively. It veers similar to Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here. where the group co-wrote and co-produced his cut Running Out of Time.
At the end of each opener in the mini mix franchise is a production tag similar to that of a classic radio sweeper: “You’re listening to Magdalena Bay, mini mix volume ___.” This installment’s sweep leans into the glitchiness and dystopia of it all, call that Delilah’s Inferno. The tracks seamlessly transition into each other which is the case with EXO. How do I put this? If their 2021 single You Lose! is them at their most “indie sleaze” and grungy, this is them at their most goth; Lewin shreds on this. It is absolutely a standout of this volume, with French bars being an unexpected delight and a hook that is catchy as ever.
“Feu / Toujours dans ma tête / Dans ma cigarette / Prends position”
2 Wheel Drive experiments with sounds of world music and electronica, ambitiously pulling off a drum & bass breakdown. Perfect for an outing on your two wheels or a cursed lark through the woods a la Blair Witch and Lydia Tár.
Top Dog features Laura Dern shoutouts and in the words of many Gen Z, they were serving…. something, alright. And how could they not?! The instrumentation on this is pristine and the tongue-in-cheek lyrics are like a yassified remix of Soccer Mommy’s Your Dog much like they did with Shotgun from 2022.
The EP’s fifth track titled Tonguetwister is about talking smack, the syncopated percussion on this beat is a smash. With rippling arpeggiated synths and booming bass we find the duo showcasing a growth in musicality. The mini mix series is a platform for Mag Bay to experiment with new tastes without the consequence of adding them to a studio album.
Wandering Eyes and Slug Song (Reprise) cap off the tape with more aquatic theming, the former is a beautiful soft rock production with Tenenbaum showing her range as a vocalist.
Welcome as always are the visuals accompanying the project, which evoke their mixed media art style, marking themselves separate from the pack. Stunning 3D gifs and illustrations plucked out of websites we at Small Talks are too young to remember… or weren’t even born to do so. If it’s one thing, it’s uniquely Magdalena Bay.
Stream mini mix vol. 3 below.
Magdalena Bay
Joshua Reynes
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