If nothing else, this album—produced by Lee Ranaldo and released on Thurston Moore’s label—lends credence to the adage that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. So it’s not surprising this young, coed drums-and-guitar duo bears some resemblance to Sonic Youth. But you might be surprised by how slavishly Magik Markers adhere to the Sonic Youth formula, and you might wonder what caught Moore’s ear in the first place. Magik Markers’ simulations are dutiful, but they lack even a hint of the revolutionary spirit, menacing explosiveness, creativity, musicianship, savvy, wit, humor, heart or charm of their heroes. What we’re left with on Boss are the easily digested scraps of a much weightier entity, and the results are often painful on the ears. Singer/guitarist Elisa Ambrogio shares Kim Gordon’s “gift” for melody but lacks the necessary charisma to make her oddball poetry believable; if scuzzed-out, Bowery-crawling, art-damaged blues is your thing, you’d better have the conviction to make lines like “I’ve got a body rot!” or “I am the secular Pentecost” stick. On “Empty Bottles,” Magik Markers put the brakes on the Evol facsimile long enough to shamelessly ape Cat Power, and despite its shortcomings, it’s a welcome break from the mindless din that precedes it. The only other standout is “Bad Dream/Hartford’s Beat Suite,” a tender, lonesome ballad lost among white noise for white noise’s sake. [www.ecstaticpeace.com]
—Bret Tobias
