Some bands can release the same album over and over again, feeling satisfied with their effort and the elation of their fans. Others must continue to grow and change, stepping into new sonic territory, while hoping to keep a foot firmly planted in their identity.

With the release of GOLDMINE, Cincinnati’s Automagik seems to have achieved the latter. 

Release date:    11/30/18 (vinyl) // 12/21/18 (everywhere)

Automagik will be having their release party on Friday, December 21^stat The Woodward Theater with Triiibe.

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Automagik, while very good at what they did, were easily categorized as a “rock band.” 2013’s Black Sundaewas a loud, punchy Zeppelin-in-the-garage guitar & drum fest, brimming with the energy of their live shows and setting them on the “rock band” path. Their sound began to grow and mature, however, with the release of the Dark DazeEP in 2015, and again on The RoadEP in 2016. The song structure, production, and instrumentation, while still grounded in the same guitars and drums, pushed the boundaries, allowing the seemingly infinite energy of the band room to breathe.

I only mention all of this because, if you haven’t heard Automagik since the first album, you’re in for a surprise on GOLDMINE.

Their newest effort, released on November 30, 2018 on vinyl via Soul Step Records (including a limited-edition gold vinyl), and wide release on December 21, 2018, finds a band so confident in their rock roots, they have no fear exploring what sounds they can make and where those sounds can take them. Monster riffs are augmented or supplanted entirely by fat grooves and funky synth goodness.

The opening track of the album, “Salt & Pepper,” starts with what can only be described as a silly keyboard riff. It’s fun, it’s got a great beat, and it perfectly sets up the album. “Stop Drop Dance” follows, a song just begging to be discovered. It willbe stuck in your head later, and no one will be surprised when we hear it over the end credits of a major motion picture.

I could go track by track and talk about how funny, surprising, and just plain fun they are, but at the end of the day, Automagik has put out an album full of big sounds that sound new and familiar, expanding the repertoire of genres from which they can borrow to create something that is uniquely them. It’s a departure from their last full-length, for sure, but they have certainly been trending this direction over the two intervening EPs. If you’re a fan of big, fun music that seems wholly incapable of taking itself too seriously, then do yourself a favor and check out GOLDMINE.

As the band says in their description on Facebook, “Surrender to the yumminess.” After bobbing my head and tapping my foot along with GOLDMINEfor the better part of the evening, I can’t think of a better description.

“Surrender to the yumminess,” indeed.

Tracklist:

1. Salt & Pepper
2. Stop Drop Dance
3. Can You Get With This
4. Sexual Tension
5. Get Off Your Ass
6. How Slow
7. That Ain’t My Girl
8. 86n’
9. Let’s Take A Trip
10. Take Me To The Top
11. Goldmine