27th August 2025
I've always been a fan of Daddy's Highway by The Bats. In my honest opinion, it may be one of the best jangle pop albums ever made. I could listen to it tirelessly without getting bored. Despite this, however, I could never really get into the rest of the Bat's discography. It's not bad by any means, but it just doesn't pack that same punch as their debut. So you can imagine my joy when I discovered Before We Go Under, an album by another little twee folk band from the South Island of New Zealand called The Magick Heads. An album which is very much like Daddy's Highway, but also very different.
The Magick Heads formed in 1989 in Dunedin, a small city of around 130,000, by Bat's vocalist Robert Scott and newcomer Jane Sinnott. Both share the vocalist role but it was Sinnott who did most of it. Other members of the band came and went. Scott was very much still actively serving as the frontman for the Bat's, as well as the bassist for The Clean, so the Magick Heads was seen as a bit of a side project. Although to describe the band as "just" a side project would be too simple, as this was also Sinnott's first big break. Of course, being from Dunedin, the Magick Heads were closely connected to the Flying Nun label and Dunedin Sound scene (you'd be hard pressed to find a band from this part of the world that wasn't). They released one 7" single in 1992 and 3 years later in 1995 came their debut album.
Before We Go Under (FN290) is a blend of twee and folk pop, something that has definetly been done many times before but that's not to say that it couldn't be done again. Through the 30 minute runtime you're treated to 13 songs, all consistent in their quality. There is no obvious filler on this record, but at the same time their isn't really any moments where I was blown away. It's just good the whole way through, and there's nothing wrong with that. My favourite thing about Before We Go Under is the atmosphere it builds. Sinnott's dreamy vocals match perfectly with the slow instrumentation and the thoughtful, sometimes overly poetic lyrics to craft a very ethreal feeling. The use of the violin an accordian, an underrated pair of instruments in the twee space I must say, adds to the soothing nature. It feels like being on the beach on a cold, windy winter's evening. Take the fifth track "Seventh Sense" for example. The guitarwork feels like dreaming.
Speaking of the atmosphere, I just have to mention the artwork. I don't usually mention album art on here but it would be wrong of me not to in this case. I can use as many dramatic adjectives as I want, but I don't think anything can show you the vibes of Before We Go Under like the cover art. A fuzzy picture of 2 penguins in a lovers embrace, in front of the dark blue, vast sea. That describes this album perfectly. This picture is Before We Go Under. The CD inlay tells us that the loving penguins are the illusive Yellow-eyed penguin, an endangered species and one of the rarest of in the world, found only in the very southern corners of New Zealand. At the time of the albums release in 1995, the species was facing threats and it unfortunetly hasn't got much better since then. If you would like to help out the species, you can donate to the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust.
The one thing that really attracted to this album in the first place was the Bat's connections. Some of the songs on here wouldn't feel out of place on one of their records. "The Beast of Bodmin Moor" in paticular sounds like it was directly ripped off Daddy's Highway. But to say that the Magick Heads is just "more Bats" would be wrong. The best way I can put it is that Before We Go Under has the DNA of the Bats, but takes it in a different direction. For example, the excellent opening track "Standing at the Edge" has instrumentals that sound a bit Bats-y but the vocals take things down the twee route. It's similar, but it's unique, and that's what I love about this little album.
I implore any fans of the slower end of the Twee spectrum to check out the Magick Heads. I know that the Dunedin Sound can be a bit samey at times, but Before We Go Under stands on its own by trying something unique. And while you're at it, give some attention to the Yellow-eyed penguin. You don't have to donate if you can't, but even spreading the word of their plight can do good. I don't want to imagine a future where they no longer exist.
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