Magdalena Bay is in their zone again. After “Imaginal Disk,” one of last year’s most inventive and emotional pop albums, the duo is back with two new tracks that function as complementary sequels. “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes” both exist in the same lush, dreamlike world, proving just how locked in Mica Tenenbaum and Matt Lewin still are.
“Second Sleep” is an instant standout, a slow-motion, patient crescendo that reveals layer after layer of sonic brilliance; it’s one of the most complete pieces Magdalena Bay has created. Heavenly strings sweep across a foundation of funky bass and crisp percussion. Mica’s voice is incredible here, smooth, layered and totally commanding. Everything in this track feels huge. As it builds, distortion creeps in and everything swells into the gorgeous wall of sound. By the end, it’s explosive and emotional, easily one of their best songs to date.
The music video takes that energy and turns it into a surreal fever dream. Mica walks through a blue city, surrounded by cars and creepy visuals, before getting chased by masked figures through a tunnel. Matt pops up, playing guitar, and occasionally walks in the background. The whole thing looks incredible, eerie, cinematic, and exactly the kind of weird world Magdalena Bay has become known for. Nobody is doing it like them when it comes to visuals.
Where “Second Sleep” spirals towards the heavens, “Star Eyes” turns inward. A slow, piano-led ballad with lounge-pop inflections, it channels the wistful intimacy of Blur’s “To the End” while layering on the duo’s trademark futuristic sheen. A warped, ghostly effect opens the song, giving Mica’s voice a liquid strangeness before it resolves into clarity. The saxophone sighs gently through the mix while the strings shimmer. It’s tender, dreamy and a great companion to “Second Sleep.” Proof that even at their most subdued, Magdalena Bay’s music still pulses with emotion.
Together, “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes” feel like echoes from the “Imaginal Disk” universe, complementary in sound, yet exploratory in spirit. They reaffirm Magdalena Bay’s position as one of pop’s most inventive duos, capable of turning digital maximalism into something deeply human. And with their forthcoming “Imaginal Disk” movie on the horizon, it’s clear they’re still in full creative bloom, artists whose sound, image and imagination remain inseparable.
Magdalena Bay can’t miss. It’s getting ridiculous.
