128: Magana - I'm Not Doing Anything
"Bad News is made for that period of time between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Stillness before movement," Magana says of her new four-song EP. "Each song is about the period of time right before a transition: the realization that change is coming or that it needs to come."
Falling firmly into the latter of those two moods, closing track 'I'm Not Doing Anything' is rooted in stagnation - and it makes for a perfect fit within the dull, dim, gloopy Monday that greets us today.
The latest work from Jeni Magaña, Bad News is her third release in less than a year, and the final part of what she describes as an "interconnected trio of releases" alongside the Teeth EP, and October's Dream LP.
The gentle nature of its delivery, the careful consideration of its details, lends the whole EP a special kind of glow, one that does indeed seem to slip between seasons, cold fingers fumbling around for something to hold while never quite seeming to know what its got a grasp on.
'Hold On' conjures a palpable air of heartache, a lonesome declaration of love, while its finale, 'I'm Not Doing Anything', is more of a despondent confessional: "Some people complain about their dreams," she sings, "But I am counting breaths just to get some sleep."
With a gentle undercurrent of synths, hefty percussion, and Magaña's always-affecting voice, it rounds the EP off in despondent but genuinely moving style; up there with the very best work of her excellent collection. Dig in below, the full EP is out now and available via Bandcamp (also be sure to check out this excellent accompanying photo diary Jeni put together for Idioteq).
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