When I first heard Barcelona psych rock band Magick Brother & Mystic Sister back in 2020, I had never heard anything like them. They were a band that resided in their own unique creative realm, untouched by anyone and anyone around them. I have to say that I was a bit worried that this might be somewhat of an illusion. Is this for real? Would they be able to capture the cosmic, ethereal groove that they did with the debut? With Tarot Part I, they did just that and much more.
Ethereal, cosmic, psychedelic, Earthy, and yet otherworldly are just a few words I can use to describe Tarot Part I by Magick Brother & Mystic Sister. One word that CAN’T be used to describe this album and band is “ordinary.” A loose concept based on the faces of the Tarot deck, Tarot Part I. opens with the cosmic drone of “The Fool.” It’s here that Magick Brother & Mystic Sister set the tone for what I found to be an exceptional ride through the stratosphere and back.
The lush, dreamy vocals of vocalist/keyboardist Eva Muntada on the song “The High Priestess” had me feeling the sensation of floating, looking down at myself, completely absorbing every breathy note of note of Muntada’s skilled techniques on the mellotron as she emulated the sounds of the flute, clarinet, and violin. She did this with such precision and skill that I was stunned to find out they weren’t the real deal. Six songs into the album, “The Hierophant,” is where the album peaked, much like my physical and mental state. The droning, melodic sound of the sitar courtesy of Toni Jagwar coupled with a solid, in-the-pocket percussive groove locked in between drummer Alex Carmona and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Xavier Sandoval opened a mental door for me into another realm of existence.
Tarot Part I concluded with “The Wheel of Fortune,” which gave me a sense of relief, awakening, and coming to a mental crossroads of sorts, knowing that this wasn’t the end of this particular journey. I woke from what felt like a hypnotic state, mentally and emotionally lighter than before listening to the album. That is not an easy thing to accomplish, but it’s also something you can’t fake or force. It’s either done naturally or not done at all, and Magick Brother & Mystic Sister pull it off because it’s just who and what they are creatively, literally, and figuratively.
When music makes me feel like I have left my current plane of existence, it feels like no other. Visions of golden doors higher than the eye can see, clouds that catch you from hitting the ground, and dancing among the stars deep within the cosmos is something I have never experienced before while listening to music. Tarot Part I is a soundtrack to experiencing another plane of existence and the key and vehicle to get there.
Vinyl and CD copies of Tarot Part I have sold out already, but the album is available as a digital download via the Magick Brother & Mystic Sister Bandcamp page. The album will also be available on all streaming platforms in the upcoming weeks.
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