Norwegian prog rockers Magic Pie seem to be getting better and better with age and nowhere is that more apparent than on this sparkling new seven-track gem titled Maestro.
The disc, which is adorned by excellent and evocative artwork, is one of those memorable and inspiring musical encounters where everything simply clicks, and each aspect of the colourful and intriguing compositions complements one another. As with their Fragments of the 5th Element LP from a few years back, there is both a heartwarming charm and a prevailing sense of playfulness that course through the varied musical content of Maestro, which is a beautiful thing in itself, but what sets their 2025 offering apart from its predecessors is its near-perfect balancing of contrasts and the way in which they alter the mood or feel of a song rather seamlessly. The cohesiveness of the entire affair is outright staggering. There is drama and theatricality, humour and inner turmoil, irrepressible positivity and heartfelt yearning – what more could you possibly want?! In some ways, it almost serves as a love letter to the very best outputs that acts such as Genesis, Deep Purple, Yes, and Kansas released in their heyday, but every influence is clearly filtered through Magic Pie’s own formula for crafting riveting prog rock. The melodies linger and songs such as ‘Everyday Hero’ and ‘Name It to Tame It’ mark some of the group’s finest work to date. The former weaves sublime riffs and irresistible vocals together to great effect, and the latter is akin to a mixture of Queen, Electric Light Orchestra, and the aforementioned Purple. Apart from a few meandering passages that crop up here and there and the short track named ‘Kiddo…’ feeling superfluous and unable to capture the imagination or tug at the heartstrings, you will find plenty to get excited about – not least the fact that these chaps actually know how to churn out prog-ish tunes with thick grooves to them.
This creative odyssey sees Magic Pie making exploratory music in an organic and seemingly effortless manner, and that sweet spot of marrying hard rock, prog, psychedelic rock, and poppy hooks has undoubtedly been found. You had better not miss out on this sixth album by the magnificent band.
Maestro will be released by Karisma Records on May 16, 2025.
