Structurally, this album is perhaps not as expansive as some of Magenta's other work - but there is still plenty of top-draw prog here. There are no sprawling 20-plus minute epics on the 10-track album, with six 'proper' songs, only two of which breach the 10 minute mark, and four brief instrumental interludes. It feels a bit more accessible as a result than some of the band's denser work - but it is unmistakably Magenta. The album opens with The Lovers, a fairly upbeat song with a jaunty vibe. Dancing strings open the song, whilst slightly renaissance-era woodwinds, courtesy of Reed on recorder and guest Katie Axelsen on flute, float around. Whilst it might be expected that this intro lasts for quite a while, especially given the song's nine minute runtime, the band are keen to get on with things - and D'Virgilio soon starts to drum and a much rawer rock sound takes over. In classic Yes-like fashion, Reed's bass playing really drives much of the song. The rhythm section strike up a busy groove which really drives the verses - over which Booth starts to sing in her clipped and crystal clear manner. She is perhaps not as warm nor as soaring as some of her peers, but her distinct voice and ability to reel off staccato vocal rhythms with ease makes her a great fit for Magenta - and her higher-pitched delivery suits the bass-heavy sound. The guitars generally chop away in the background, adding subtle rhythms without ever really coming to the fore, whilst Reed unleashes his arsenal of keyboards on a regular basis. The real bass-heavy sections generally have a subtle synth backing - but up-tempo piano breaks, rumbles of Hammond organ, and flashy synth melodies are never far away; and a mixture of these keyboard breaks and a subtle chorus which sees Booth delivering a slightly warmer vocal are the main hooks here. Given the fact that the guitars are largely in the background for much of the song, Fry's first big solo on the album comes as a bit of a shock. His lyrical playing has often been a big part of the Magenta sound - and his solo here is filled with lots of long-held notes and memorable runs without ever really picking up the pace in a big way. Given the song's groovy and relatively upbeat vibe, this slower-burning solo section works as a nice contrast - and there is a similar synth solo from Reed later which really channels the 1980s neo-prog scene. Only the brief piano breaks really switch up the flow - and the song later fades out with one and some delicate Booth vocals. Following the first brief interlude which sees Fry delivering some classical guitar melodies, The Magician kicks off - and the song immediately feels much grander. A heavier overall sound establishes itself early on, with percussive drumming and a soaring guitar lead from Fry. The guitar is a much more prominent instrument throughout this song - and even once the initial intro drops away and Booth starts to sing she is largely just accompanied by some acoustic guitar initially. Vibe-wise, then, this song is quite different to the previous one. Bigger-sounding instrumental sections sit nicely side-by-side with more restrained vocal sections - although the latter do expand over time. Acoustic and classical guitar melodies often back Booth's more emotive delivery, but sometimes the piano takes over, with tumbling classical melodies, whilst dramatic strings add depth. These sections are generally bookended with tougher, harder rock moments that mirror the song's intro - with more burning lead guitar moments and a heavier drum backing. As the song moves on, though, that bass-led Yes sound does resurface somewhat - with some snappier vocal-led moments, a strong bass underpinning, and a bit more of a guitar crunch. Synth melodies with a brass-like sound only ups the grandness later on - whilst Fry also builds on the song's guitar presence with another big solo.
The next brief interlude makes use of some folky woodwind melodies, before The World kicks off with a busy and melodic intro that sees guitars, keyboards, and the bass all playing in unison - creating a proggy and interesting sound before the band proper kicks in. As is generally the case throughout this album, too, this intro does not last too long before Booth starts to sing - and the song feels like a bit of a mix of the previous two. The jaunty vibe of the opening song returns here, but there is a bigger overall sound which is more reminiscent of the previous number. The guitar plays a much bigger role than it does during the first song. Whilst the bass is largely the dominant force during the verses again, juddering guitar rhythms add a spikier feel - which Booth also enhances with her distinct vocal style. In terms of Fry and his guitar leads, too, this song feels the most expansive so far. A big guitar break never feels all that far away. There are lengthier solo moments of course, but briefer lead guitar breaks are quite common here - and the overall arrangement of the song just feels a bit more expansive. Strings are utilised quite a lot throughout the song, whilst backing vocals and occasional harmonies are utilised - with some call-and-response vocal effects utilised at times. The retro keyboard textures are less common here - with strings dominating from the texture point of view, although piano and woodwinds are also utilised to aid an overall organic and dense sound at times. There are some quite prominent synth breaks and leads which cut through this sound, particularly later on, but largely the guitars provide the main hooks this time - and there is a great moment towards the middle of the piece where the band steps back somewhat to leave Booth and Fry to deliver some call-and-response vocal and guitar lines which work really well. The ever-present lead guitars, though, and Fry's mastery of his instrument make this song a real standout cut on the album for me. Following another interlude, featuring classical guitar and woodwinds, Strength somewhat continues on the hybrid approach of the previous song - but there is a darker overall tone from the off. Booth's vocal style naturally lends itself to the upbeat and bouncy - but she still shines over darker backings, even though this song still retains something of a playful nature. Like the last track, strings often dominate and create a dense backing - but this is a much more keyboard-driven song overall. The guitars largely provide tougher rhythms, allowing a darker vibe to permeate, but Reed is generally responsible for the hooks here - either via his busy bass playing or some synth melodies. There is occasional piano here, but strings and retro synths tend to be the order of the day - whilst the bass is pushed to the fore. Booth sings in a slightly lower register during much of the song, which allows the darker vibes to feel bigger - and the moments in which Fry does step forward see him delivering slower-burning and much more atmospheric guitar leads than perhaps he generally does. There are also some prominent acoustic guitar moments, which see the bombast and atmosphere drop away to leave some busy acoustic playing behind Booth's emotive vocals. In terms of the vocals, this song may have the most diverse Booth performance here. She generally sings in a lower register as mentioned, but there are some moments which see her singing much higher than usual for effect - and there is a brief chorus-like section which is returned to occasionally which sees jauntier melodies taking over briefly for a contrast. This is a real mood piece, then, and as the song moves towards its climax Fry unleashes another big guitar solo - which is much more typical of his usual style than the aching leads from earlier in the song.
The final interlude, which again is largely classical guitar and woodwinds, soon gives way to The Empress - which opens in a similar manner to the interlude, albeit with a much bigger overall sound. The renaissance-esque melodies from the instrumental explode into a punchy, woodwind-led intro - albeit with a hard rock rhythm section backing. Unlike the darker previous song, this is one which returns to the jaunty vibes heard elsewhere in the album. It is probably the song here most like The Lovers - as from the off it feels quite up-tempo and energetic, even if the guitars feel a bit more prominent than they were during the album's opener. Fry's subtle, effects-heavy guitar leads during the verses add a surprising amount of depth given they are quite low in the mix - but the bass once again is the main driving force, whilst D'Virgilio does a lot of heavy lifting, too, with a punchy and busy drum performance. Dancing strings are utilised once again, and the song largely feels upbeat and busy - but soon the band drop away, leaving just a sombre piano melody. This contrast works well, and Booth soon starts to sing in a more emotive manner against some acoustic guitar and a distant synth backing - with a much calmer vibe presenting itself compared to the bombast and energy of earlier. The song does somewhat grow around this vibe for a while - but there is quite a period here of a much slower-burning feeling. Acoustic guitar and piano melodies tend to dominate here, with occasional bursts of strings and drumming to accent these sections - whilst slow-burning guitar leads are also thrown in. As such, the mixture of early bombast and this much more emotive and slow-burning middle section works pretty well - and the mid-section allows a much more organic sound to settle in for a while. As time passes, though, the song does transition back into a much bigger sound - but the jaunty vibes of the early part of the song are largely replaced by a grander and slow-moving approach - with the band going for a much more typical symphonic prog sound. Big strings and a grander overall arrangement characterise the third movement of the song, then, although there are occasional flashes back to the up-tempo nature of the song's intro. There is a lot more overt soloing during this third act, too, with a flashy and surprisingly fast-paced synth solo from Reed later followed by quite a lengthy Fry guitar solo. This guitar solo might be the album's best overall - and this third act of the song is perhaps Fry's overall moment here, given the plethora of soaring guitar leads that sit behind Booth's vocals and the aforementioned solo. The song fades out on one of these leads, too, and The Empress is perhaps the most powerful number here. There is no interlude this time, with the shorter closing title track instead coming in right away - with delicate piano melodies and Booth's vocals dominating early on. Unlike the five longer songs which preceded it, Tarot feels like a much more accessible and simple song by contrast - with a focus on tumbling piano melodies, poppier vocal melodies with subtle harmonies, and delicate acoustic guitar lines in the background. The piano dominates, though, with subtle strings adding depth elsewhere - but the song does somewhat grow in stature as it moves forward. The acoustic guitar becomes more percussive, and a call-and-response vocal approach is later used - which culminates in the drums eventually joining in and Fry launching into a soaring guitar solo. Given the song's relatively simple vibe, the guitar solo hits quite hard - and it is essentially the album's closing note, save for a brief piano and vocal refrain at the end. Despite being a casual fan for a while, Tarot feels like the first Magenta album that I have properly digested - and there is a lot to like here. The carefree melodies, excellent guitar playing, and playful arrangements set Magenta apart from their peers - and I certainly need to complete my collection and dive deeper into this catalogue.
The album was released on 10th April 2026 via Tigermoth Records. Below is the band's promotional video for an edited version of The Lovers.
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