Magical

Sunday 09 Dec 2007 (Michael Bugeja - The Sunday Times of Malta)

CD REVIEW

Chris & Moira

Magical

The last piece I wrote involving Chris & Moira dates back to June 2004. This was around the time they went by the name of Krave, and had just released sophomore album Uncivilized, seven years after their debut outing, Night To Day. What Uncivilized did in particular was to elevate Krave into Malta’s major music league, thanks to a sharper rock trim in their songs and the appeal of singles All I Want, Beggin’ You and Moonman in particular. As I recall, I had concluded my review back then by saying that “I believe their best is yet to come!”

Although it has taken them a shorter time to come up with a new offering than they did with Uncivilized, the three year gap still means they’ll have to strive harder to reclaim the lost ground. Magical is the first instalment of this husband-and-wife duo’s return to the limelight, and with it they are showcasing a refreshed direction and approach. On the vocal side, Moira has clearly been pushing her boundaries, her style now coming over like a cross between Dido and Sinead O’Connor. Musically, the song reflects that Chris and Moira have not abandoned their rock leanings; they’ve simply toned them down a little and come up with this catchy acoustically-driven number.

The duo will be performing the song for the first time at the Bay Music Awards on 12 December. Meanwhile, they’ve signed a publishing deal with KDM Productions in the UK and their music is now available worldwide through iTunes. The video for Magical will be also become officially available on iTunes shortly. Along with Moira on vocals and Chris on guitars, the other musicians who feature on Magical are Billy B on bass and Roberto Calleia on drums.