Melding together indie rock and brassy instrumentals, Holly Miranda’s ‘The Magician’s Private Library’ takes the listener on a journey through the looking glass into a world of haunted dreams.
Previously of The Jealous Girlfriends, Miranda stepped away from the band for this solo effort “The Magician’s Private Library”. Produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek, who is known for producing Scarlet Johansson’s musical interlude from cinema, his influence is notable.
Sitek does a stellar job at bringing Miranda out from behind her solitary guitar and into a brassy instrumental sound.
Recorded in 2008 and released in 2010 by XL Records, the album draws you into a dream state with the first track “Forest Green, Oh Forest Green” which introduces the listener to Miranda’s voice through instrumental and almost competing vocal lines.
Flowing into the tracks “Joints” and “Waves”, it is here that Miranda’s eerie sound on the album really takes flight, igniting the listener’s imagination and sense of love and loss.
The short track “Canvas” has a stark sense of melancholy that invokes an emotional response from the listener as they are torn between the ease of the melody and the meaning and wonderment of the lyrics “was it somethin’ in your eyes?
Or was it in your lips, that made me feel sane?” Likewise the harsh reality of “High Tides’” lyric, “you won’t change a thing by always blaming it on me”, compels the listener into the nightmarish dream state further.
Miranda has been around the indie/alternative scene for over a decade and has garnered a passionate following for her work as a singer/songwriter. She is able to tell her story through her warm vocal tone and self taught guitar playing.
Most have a true “soft spot” for Miranda and her acoustic sound. However, her haunting falsetto and blues voice in this work will leave the listener pleasantly surprised as they are transported to a world reminiscent of one’s dreams and fairytales, all with a sexy twist. This album is a welcome addition to her repertoire and compliments her soulful tones perfectly.