David Pattillo is something of a blues rock cult hero in New York City, but you could likely tell that from looking at him. Replete with hair well-below the shoulders and a flare for late 60s / early 70s fashion, his music under the moniker Strange Majik conjures up classic influences, which when channeled through a contemporary filter, become something else entirely that’s wholly (and delightfully) weird. His latest offering 20/20 excels in this mishmash of past and present sounds, a psych-y, funky odyssey that reads like an alternate history Summer of Love wherein the public found out every batshit conspiracy theory of the time turned out to be true (as opposed to being declassified years later). And while Pattillo’s craft is in a five decade long tradition, his songwriting is very much of-the-times, which makes for an engaging cognitive dissonance — hearing Strange Majik groove under lyrics describing the breakbeat pace of modern living (“World On Fire”) and the surveillance state (“Whistleblower”) feels inherently anachronistic, a prediction of things yet to come hidden in dusty forgotten vinyl. Moreover, this combination of a modern worldview, a carefully curated mix of genera, and Pattillo’s strange bent succeeds in making a rock and roll record that feels truly contemporary, a task that’s no small feat these days. Play it loud, below. —Connor Beckett McInerney, photo by Ky DiGregorio
