Review: Magnet, The Tourniquet

Even Johansen’s second outing as Magnet doesn’t stray too far from the Norwegian singer-songwriter’s previous efforts.

Magnet, The TourniquetThe Tourniquet, Even Johansen’s second outing as Magnet, doesn’t stray too far from the Norwegian singer-songwriter’s previous efforts, mixing lovelorn melancholia with ’60s-meets-laptop arrangements. Unfortunately, tracks like “The Pacemaker” amount to a lot of electronic pitter-patter and not a whole lot of substance, revealing a collection of songs that’s less ambitious and tightly woven than 2004’s exquisite On Your Side. Aside from the delicate pining of “Miss Her So,” Tourniquet’s best songs are the ones with the most obvious hooks: “Hold On,” a soul ballad with Beach Boys-esque vocal harmonies, “Fall At Your Feet,” and the string-laden closer “Jaws.” Tourniquet is supposed to be more optimistic than its predecessor, and it occasionally is (particularly on the opening track), but shades of beguiling self-doubt envelope an otherwise hopeful record. Johansen’s optimism is borne out of necessity, not happiness or disposition, which makes for a more substantive listen: “I’m gonna do this like I know what I’m doing,” he sings on “Believe,” the album’s best track. Uncertainty (“I don’t know what I’m supposed to believe in”) is remedied with a dose of wishful thinking (“I might as well believe in me”), the result of which is fascinatingly inexplicable self-confidence.

Score: 
 Label: Filter US  Release Date: February 14, 2006  Buy: Amazon

Sal Cinquemani

Sal Cinquemani is the co-founder and co-editor of Slant Magazine. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Village Voice, and others. He is also an award-winning screenwriter/director and festival programmer.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.