This Magnificent

This Magnificent (2013)

ConkersClown

Ok, let's get this out of the way. Ryland Steen, the man behind This Magnificent, is the drummer in the ska band Reel Big Fish. There you go, that's all you're going to hear about that.
The debut, self-titled album from This Magnificent is a musical mixed bag, with a firm route in big stadium style rock music. Reminiscent of Foo Fighters and (dare I say) Thirty Seconds to Mars, one can imagine choruses of songs like "Your Not Gonna Know" and "Reach Out" being blasted out over an arena. The first single from the album, "You're Not Gonna Know," is a strong first outing for Ryland and shows his talent for melody and catchy lyrics. Even his slower songs like "Rest for Bethlehem" have a beauty in the lyrics that works well with those kinds of big, lavish rock venues. Everything has been done by Ryland too. From playing every instrument to writing every note, he did everything by himself, giving the music a certain charm.
This being a mixed bag though, there are a few things that need tweaking for a next release. Some of the songs sound very similar. The hooks and melodies of certain songs like the title track, "I Wonder Why," and "Reach Out" seem to gel into each other a little too well. Solid songs, but sometimes it's difficult to differentiate between them and you catch yourself going "hang on….no different words."
As a first outing for his solo stuff, Ryland has given a brilliant and solid album of songs that, given the right publicity and push, fill venues. There are a couple of things to iron out, but aren't there in everything?