Song of the Day: "The Magic Position," Patrick Wolf

A musical prodigy mixes electronic music and '50s pop.

Published May 9, 2007 7:01AM (EDT)

Patrick Wolf has stuffed a lot of music into his 23 years. At only 14 years old, the London native was playing gigs with English art-pop band Minty. By the time he was 16, he'd left home to busk with a string quartet. Just for good measure, Wolf also recently spent a year studying composition at the prestigious Trinity College of Music in Greenwich, England.

Wolf puts all that experience to good use on "The Magic Position," the self-titled track from his new, highly praised album. A bed of electronic blips and bleeps percolates beneath an exuberant string arrangement and a great '50s-derived sax part. It's all topped off by Wolf's winning melody, sung in a voice that calls to mind a campier Bryan Ferry. It's a fun listen from a promising young talent.

-- David Marchese

The Song of the Day is also available as a podcast. (Subscribe: iTunes or RSS)


By Salon Staff

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