<p>Magdalena Bay are a pop duo who whip up a crafty mix of left-field psych-pop quirkiness and early-2000s stylistic hooks. After rising out of Los Angeles at the tail-end of the 2010s with buzz-worthy tracks like
... <p>Magdalena Bay are a pop duo who whip up a crafty mix of left-field psych-pop quirkiness and early-2000s stylistic hooks. After rising out of Los Angeles at the tail-end of the 2010s with buzz-worthy tracks like "Neon" and "Killshot," they issued a pair of well-received EPs which paved the way for their 2021 debut full-length, Mercurial World. The record performed well enough to warrant a deluxe version, bolstered by the 2022 single "All You Do." In 2024, they delivered their equally dancey and psychedelic sophomore album, Imaginal Disk.</p>
<p>Mica Tenenbaum and Matt Lewin first met through an after-school music program in Miami where they both grew up. Bonding over a variety of mutual influences, most notably progressive rock, the two formed a Genesis- and King Crimson-inspired prog band while still in their teens. Reconnecting during their college years, Tenenbaum and Lewin shifted gears and began writing pop music, taking cues from cutting-edge producers like Charli XCX and Grimes while nodding to early-2000s pop stars like Gwen Stefani and Britney Spears.</p>
<p>Magdalena Bay debuted in 2017 with the woozy, chilled-out "Neon" and spent the next two years honing their sound with a succession of singles and short EPs leading up to the 2019 release of Mini Mix, Vol. 1 on Luminelle Recordings. Rhythmic, slick, and subtly suggestive, they paired their music with an increasingly retro aesthetic that involved VHS video and an intentionally primitive millennial website. After 2020's A Little Rhythm and a Wicked Feeling, which yielded highlights like the slinky "Killshot" and the bubblegum "How to Get Physical," they finally delivered their first full-length album in 2021's Mercurial World. The album made it to number 18 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and in September 2022 was expanded into a lengthy 28-truck deluxe edition that featured the shimmering single "All You Do."</p>
<p>In May 2024, the duo returned with the anthemic, piano-driven single "Death & Romance" as the first song released off their sophomore full-length, Imaginal Disk. Released that August, the album found them again blending swirling, psychedelic production with a hooky dance and pop vibe.</p>
<p>Timothy Monger<br />AllMusic.com</p>
