Send "Magneta Lane " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Put on Magneta Lane's second album, Gambling With God, and you might think that you accidentally tapped into an alt-rock radio station frequency from 1995. The band's crunchy sound and ready-for-airplay hooks recall FM glory days when bands like Veruca Salt and Letters to Cleo were rattling around the buzz bin.What could be merely a retro exercise actually turns out to be pretty fun rock record. Borrowing from the 1990s isn't exactly novel at this point, but indie bands of late have been more likely to pilfer from noisy independent labels like Slumberland and Siltbreeze. The kind of guitar rock Magneta Lane favor doesn't have these signifiers, but is instead slick, methodical, and, if done right, crazy catchy. And Gambling With God is that sound "done right," almost to a fault. Even fans of the band's previous two releases, 2004's debut EP The Constant Lover and 2006's Dancing With Daggers LP, might have some trouble with the production here. Magneta Lane's songwriting has always been straightforward, but their sound used to have an edge of punky danger, supplied mainly by guitarist Lexi Valentine's rough-around-the-edges riffs. Any elements of tension have been sanded down on Gambling With God until they're smooth as marble. The bright sheen on the tracks is an adjustment. And when paired with the heard-it-before opening chords on first track "Lady Bones", it definitely causes the record to get off on the wrong foot. But stick with it, and you'll find that Magneta Lane have hooks to spare. The first three tracks, particularly "Lady Bones" and "Castles", are instantly earworm-y, and even more pleasantly so if you can manage to tune out the lyrics. Other elements are engaging throwbacks to earlier styles, like the chugging rhythm and fluid melody on the title track, which are reminiscent of the Pretenders' "Back on the Chain Gang"....full text |
| Offthedial |
| Oh how I love female vocalists. I am yet to be convinced that a man can sing anything better than a woman. And so I wait, four fucking years in fact, for Magneta Lane to release a follow up to the very successful Dancing with Daggers. Breath held for the next time I get to hear Lexi Valentine croon and subsequently make me melt into gleeful pop-noir gelatinous goo. With new album Gambling with God loaded into the iPod, I spent a cool autumn afternoon strolling thru Queen Street West in Toronto finding my answers. You’d think with the band moving to Last Gang Records (Home for The New Pornographers and Metric) that Gambling with God would feature a more progressive sound. Sadly that’s not the case. It’s not that the album is bad, it just sounds like the previous two offerings by the band. “Lady Bones” kicks the album off and given it’s an older tune in the Magneta catalog, you get the distinct feeling that the album will follow the tried and true blueprint the band has used before. Again, not necessarily a bad thing for a band that hasn’t quite “made it” but for fans, hearing an old song on a new album (in the first track no less) doesn’t exactly excite the old ear drums. “Violet’s Constellations” makes up for the first track as the synthesizers compliment the driving bass line and backbeat altering my previous perceptions on where this was going. Sadly, it wasn’t long until I found myself forgetting about that and realizing the statement being made by the band. “Castles” “Bloody French” and “Queen of Hearts” are all standouts, but clearly Magneta Lane songs. The hope of a left turn in the trip fades and what you’re left with is a band who knows that this is what they are....full text |
| Indieshuffle |
| What’s so good? A trio of attractive girls! What more could you want? How about a trio of attractive girls playing some kick-ass music? Meet Magneta Lane. Hailing from Toronto, Lexi Valentine (vocals, guitar), French (bass), and Nadia King (drums) have stuck it out since getting together in 2003 for this, their second full-length album. Reminiscent of their much-more-famous counterparts, Metric, these three have worked together to produce a powerful, raw and emotional album. I can’t say much more. Reviews of Magneta Lane and their album Gambling with God are scarce on the internet–perhaps I’m the first to cover this album? Regardless, I’ll let the song speak for itself on this one. Enjoy!...full text |
Magneta Lane lyrics
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