Magana is the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Jeni Magaña. The artist described her upcoming LP, "Teeth," as "witchy rock," and will fittingly be released on Mar. 25 in conjunction with the peak illumination of the Worm Moon.
Magaña was born in Bakersfield, California, and went on to study music at Boston's Berklee College. After graduating, she relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where she released her debut EP, "Golden Tongue," in 2016. She then returned to California to live in Los Angeles, where she and Emily Moore formed Pen Pin, a pop duo that debuted in 2022. In recent years, Magaña has balanced releasing solo work while touring as the bassist for Mitski and Lady Lamb.
Magana released two albums in 2020 titled "Breathing" and "You Are Not a Morning Person." Her upcoming LP, "Teeth," will be her first full-length release since those two records. Her solo work, including her 2020 albums and singles from her upcoming release, has received praise from sites like The Line of Best Fit, London in Stereo, GoldFlakePaint, Various Small Flames, The Le Sigh, Buzz Bands LA and IMPOSE Magazine. Her work has also recently been aired on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio Scotland.
"Teeth" will be released by Audio Antihero Records and Colored Pencils. "Beside You," "Paul," "Break Free," "Afraid of Everybody" and "Girl in Chains" are all currently available to stream, and each one introduces different aspects of the album.
"I started this song ("Break Free") as a small loop, and ended up stretching it out to incorporate some words and other musical elements that felt important," Magaña said. "I thought a song about feeling trapped in a loop, unable to break free unless you are able to change yourself, would be a perfect lyric match to the building pressures and repetitive chords in the music."
The song is an excellent example of the experimental instrumentals the artist utilizes in "Teeth." Other songs like "I Feel Like Ice" and "xxo" are instrumental interludes that align with that experimental quality. The former contains a swirling, distorted soundscape that hypnotizes the listener and calls back to the eerie first track on the album, "Garden."
"Garden" kicks the album off with discordant guitar and haunting vocals, a piercing background, and slightly devious lyrical energy. Magana's vocals are a standout quality of this song and a highlight of the album.
An excellent example of her vocal power is "Matter," in which the instruments follow the captivating lead of her voice, seemingly drawn to the magnetic force of her delicate vocals. The song also creates a distorted vintage aesthetic throughout the rest of the album.
A standout on the album is "Beside You," in which a high-pitched, staccato piano motif keeps the rhythm against heavily distorted electric guitars. The melancholy chorus with a maintained rock energy is emblematic of artists like Mitski. In addition, Magana draws influence from artists like St. Vincent and Sharon Van Etten throughout the album.
"Mary Anne" is a heartbreaking ballad, similar to those of artists like Lucy Dacus. The song features a strummed guitar and her signature vocal quality, as well as the sound effect of a whirring projector, further contributing to the vintage feel of the album.
A perfect summation of the album is "To My Love," complete with consuming synth backdrops and rolling percussion contrasting with sweet vocals sharing deep and melancholy lyrics.
"Teeth" combines acid folk, dream/alt-pop, and a touch of krautrock, all in an attempt to tackle the darkest and most brutally honest aspects of the artist's life. Each song brings something new and vulnerable to the aching LP, a stunning representation of growth and self-discovery through the lens of a fever dream.
