Magdalena Bay, Bayli at Majestic

Magdalena Bay (Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin) pose in colorful outfits against a sky blue background in this digitally enhanced promotional photo by Lissyelle Laricchia.

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For over six years, the duo Magdalena Bay (Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin) have been cultivating their vivacious sound, style, and presence after dropping a spaced-out cover of Tears For Fears’ revered “Head Over Heels.” From regularly interactive Monday live streams on Twitch to comedic TikTok promos to a plethora of full-length music videos that meld digital and analogue aesthetics of the past three decades, Mica and Matt are now their own DIY brand of instantly charming pop personality.

Their tuneful penchant for all these appealing amalgamations was perfectly distilled on last year’s conceptual dance-pop record Mercurial World, which playfully envelopes a range of sonic influences from progressive electronic, crushed bitpop, synthwave, and R&B. The first single, “Chaeri,” is a magnified reflection on pandemic-fueled isolation and seasonal affective disorder, pulsating with Lewin’s darkly flirtatious house beat that just melts into Tenenbaum’s introverted, smoldering vocal performance throughout.

On the Luminelle label’s recently re-released deluxe edition of the record—which features a few remixes, several bonus tracks, and over a dozen anonymous confessions by Mag Bay’s most avid fans—the duo continues to extend their embrace of genres. Those include psychedelic pop (“All You Do“) and synth funk on the sugary rainbow that is “Unconditional,” a Pee-wee’s Playhouse-meets-’90s Nickelodeon celebration of ecstatic, uncontainable affection with an unrelentingly groovy electric bass line.

While citing the individual appeal of the group’s singles is significant, Mag Bay has also bucked the trend of writing in vacuum, crafting a seamless album experience through mastering the typically arduous art of the segue. Mercurial World is not only remarkably produced in their widening musical lane (with contemporary influences of Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek), but it’s a sparkling showcase of a steady artistic vision. Boasting such definable hooks with an almost elusively crystalline slickness, their upbeat earworms complement the theatricality and glam bent to their live shows, complete with costume sets and a live drummer, Nick Villamizar (who has roots in Mica and Matt’s former progressive rock band from the early-mid 2010s, Tabula Rasa).

Versatile NYC-based alternative R&B artist Bayli opens.

—Grant Phipps