Multimagic - Manic Daze (2020)

As the world feels as if it’s crumbling around us, it’ not surprising to hear many turning to music. Regardless of age, gender, location, or whatever, music is always there to give you a mental boost. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve felt like throwing in the towel only to be given a new lease by dropping the needle on a record. At the risk of sounding gushy, I’ll say music has been there for me when a lot of other people weren’t. The same can be said for Coran Stetter, the founder of Multimagic.

After gaining quite a bit of traction around his home state of Ohio, the sky was the limit for Stetter. Multimagic’s debut single and touring schedule earned the title of one of the scene’s most promising bands. Unfortunately, Stetter’s health caused the momentum to come to a grinding halt. Many of Stetter’s bandmates and friends moved on with their lives and careers, leaving him at the mercy of his physical and mental health. But like every success story, Stetter pulled himself up out of the ashes and emerged a new man. The embodiment of that redemption is the newly evolved Multimagic and their first full-length record Manic Daze.
From the get-go with the opening track “Believe It”, Multimagic are there to set the record straight: no matter how empty you feel or how beaten the path, you’re never really alone. Despite people entering and exiting your life, the important ones are always there for the long haul. This overwhelming sense of hope and prosperity elevated every single note on each of the ten tracks. Even last year’s “Dreams” has a new subtle sense of redemption within the context of the tracklisting.

As of writing this article, I’ve been in the state-wide ‘shelter in place’ order due to the COVID19 pandemic. With very little to inspire me in the media, Manic Daze felt like a breath of fresh air. Not only was I drawn to the atmospheric synths, thunderous bass, and earworm-worthy hooks, but the love, passion, and confidence brought it to the next level. If you’ve read any of my reviews on previous Soul Step Records releases, you already know I’m a sucker for a good pop record. However, Manic Daze defies genre and stands as a much-needed beacon of hope in these times of uncertainty. This record just might be the album I didn’t even know I needed! I have a feeling it will be the same for many others this year.