Magic Box 1996

"Bel Canto's fourth release Magic Box is a mixed affair. With former member Geir Jenssen gone from the group for several years now, his influence on the sound has faded, and Bel Canto continues moving away from the dark synth-heavy soundscapes made while he was a member.

Replacing those elements are influences from folk music and world music in general, generally lighter and more uplifting tunes and they try out at making some certifiable pop tunes here as well; with mixed success.

Adding melodic guitars to some of the tunes sounds invigorating in places, the light melodic touch bringing energy to songs otherwise dominated by keyboards and synths; but when added to the lighter and more pop-oriented tracks like "Freelunch in the Jungle" and "Kiss of Spring" it also shows that the band has a large development potential in the art of making memorable and catchy pure pop songs. Bel Canto are at their best when making tunes more similar to their earlier stuff here, with the slightly eerie "Sleepwalker" and the haunting "Paradise" as clear highlights; and the world music influences invigorate tracks like "In Zenith" and the aforementioned "Sleepwalker", and on "Bombay"; the tune with the highest degree of folk music influences, they create a really intriguing soundscape breaking up the pattern of the album at midpoint in an interesting manner.

Fans of the band of old may not appreciate the direction the band is heading towards on this release; but a fair number of good tunes makes it a worthwhile addition for fans of slightly exotic and dreamy pop music."