Oh, but we do.
[Video]
[2.82]
Will Adams: Were it so easy.
[2]
Jonathan Bradley: Do they still do that gag on South Park where Kyle puts the boot into his dweeby Canadian brother, crying “kick the baby!”? (“Don’t kick the baby,” the lil Canuck would gurgle helplessly.)
[3]
Anthony Easton: As a Canadian who has spent time in the two largest populations of West Indians in Canada, and someone who regularly went to festivals featuring African diaspora culture, I would like to apologize for how weak this is.
[2]
Katherine St Asaph: I’m sure the industry is thrilled silly Magic! are perfectly willing to ditch that pesky Canadian reggae gimmick and revert to becoming the next OneRepublic. Me, I just wonder about that title.
[1]
Alfred Soto: They know they wrote a hooky chorus: they repeat it in the hopes of, yes, magically, making verses and bridges appear. And, hey, a glockenspiel! Whether the “Rude” crowd will like this unoffensive Men at Work/OneRepublic mishmash is another question.
[4]
David Sheffieck: Perfect for anyone who finds The Police’s take on reggae a little too abrasive.
[1]
Josh Winters: I’m really into this idea of Dallas Green fronting The Police, but the result here is too pleasant and gentle to truly match the histrionic nature of Nasri Atweh’s pleas. It mellows you out more than it gets you going, and therefore, I can only muster up so much sympathy towards him by the end. If the bridge were any longer, though, I’d probably walk away alongside his girl.
[6]
Patrick St. Michel: Ahhhh, now here’s some Magic! I can handle. Whereas “Rude” initially hit as a why-is-this-happening-in-2014 novelty before blowing up into a reminder that college-aimed faux-reggae remains a powerful force in our world (even if it’s wannabe No Doubt with extra whine), “Don’t Kill The Magic” is just generic sobby rock. It’s either a boring “please don’t break up with me before winter break” deal or, if you are feeling really generous, a bit more funny than it seems (the title, for one, plus lines like “I’ll be your mattress” which c’mon). Whatever it is, it’s…uneventful, and that’s a step up.
[4]
Mallory O’Donnell: This ain’t magic, it’s texture. Too bad the folds aren’t deep enough to bury a line like “I’ll be your mattress.”
[2]
Brad Shoup: “Rude” has such simpering magnetism, I don’t change the station when it comes on. This sounds like bad U2. Bad U2 is pretty much the worst: guitars pantomiming transcendence, the comforting voice of the savior coming out of a mall PA. Cleverly, the bridge nods towards a reggae groove, but the strokes are actually dudes chirping “take”. Don’t mind if they do, I guess.
[2]
Thomas Inskeep: Nowhere nearly as offensively bad as “Rude,” this is just boilerplate pop-by-committee; whether it actually is or not is irrelevant, as that’s what it sounds like. Catchy enough to ensure that MAGIC! won’t be one-hitters: they’ll likely be two-hit wonders. NOW That’s What I Call The ’10s! awaits.
[4]