AMG Review of Magic, Murder and the Weather [2007 Expanded]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music Guide

Magazine's final studio album, Magic, Murder and the Weather, finds Dave Formula's washes of cold, brittle keyboards dominating the bitter and cynical music. Occasionally, Howard Devoto's weary lyrics surface through the icy mix, but it's clear that Devoto and Magazine have both had better days. It's not a graceful way to bow out, but the album has enough strong moments to prevent it from being an embarrassment as well. [The expanded and remastered edition, released in 2007, adds two bonus tracks: "In the Dark" and "The Operative."]