He runs the heart while you control the soul
Let’s face it: it takes a great deal of audacity to name your band Two-Minute Miracles.
A lot of bands try to name their musical projects with a certain sense of largesse or ambiguity, lending a sense of possibility to their monikers. Today we’re talking about one Ontario group that went ahead and gave themselves some pretty weighty expectations to live up to right from the get-go.
Every three years or so, however, Andy Magoffin manages to meet them. He’s the principal member and songwriter behind London’s Two-Minute Miracles, which has been around for nearly 15 years. Originally the name was conceived as a guideline of sorts; on their earliest recordings Magoffin refused to allow any song to overstay its welcome, constraining them to a literal two minute timeline.
Unsurprisingly, that’s where the band excels (although the guidelines now seems to be closer to three minutes). Their last album, Volume IV: the Lions of Love, shines brightest when it sticks close to that aesthetic. Take the songs below for example: “Conjoined” has a bit of a twangy rhythm and some impeccable harmonies, conveying exactly the tale of humanity that comes to mind when most of us hear that word. “The Minus Ball” is a downright regional number as far as the lyrics go, but Magoffin has the presence of mind to craft his words carefully enough that the rest of us can sort of get most of the joke. “The Bee Hell” is a straight-forward pop rock number that serves as the perfect first single and gateway tune, a welcoming introduction that is sure to ensnare more than a few listeners (provided, of course, that they hear it).
The simplicity of the whole thing is what really sells it, I think. It’s the Motown aesthetic: keep it simple, but don’t dumb it down. Clean, simple, yet catchy guitar figures. Throw some tambourines in the background to help people groove. Backing vocals, high harmonies, and nonsense syllables serving as a rhythmic element are all just gravy.
There are more quiet, introspective moments on the album as well but when you really get down to it no one in this day and age wants to spend too much time on any given subject anyway. Two-Minute Miracles are a band equally at home in the annals of time and the present, a soulful pop band for the internet age.
Editor’s note: Something weird is happening with the player, so here’s the third song linked differently!
Two-Minute Miracles - Conjoined [2:38m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Two-Minute Miracles - the Minus Ball [3:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadTwo-Minute Miracles - The Bee Hell
Like so very many excellent Canadian groups right now, you can find Two-Minute Miracles’ album(s) on sale via the Weewerk Records’ website. It is really good stuff.
Magoffin is also Jenny Omnichord’s baby daddy!