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Where Happiness Lives EP
Ink 19 | September 2002 | by Stein Haukland
Magnet is Even Johansen, former singer and guitarist of Libido, a Radiohead-ish band that garnered some critical acclaim in the British music press for a few weeks some years back. Now out on his own, Magnet hasn't quite renounced his Radiohead leanings, but he has added singer-songwriters in the vein of Elliott Smith and David Gray to his playlist, and come across in a far more subdued and, ultimately, more satisfying manner than before. His debut solo album, Quiet And Still was a welcome surprise, and this EP only ups the ante.
The title track and "Nothing Hurts Now" were both initially recorded for that debut effort, but are re-recorded here. "Where Happiness Lives" is without a doubt one of Magnet's finest moments yet, a laid-back and lush, breezy track, irresistibly done. "There's a million miles to go/To where happiness lives," he sings, and it's surely less optimistic than the title indicates.
The two new tracks are both unusually strong, both of them approaching his hushed, reverent live sound. Production by Sir Dupermann -- who just released a great, weird electronica album himself -- ensures a presence and immediacy that=EDs rare to come across, and it doesn't hurt to have members of both CMJ-faves Sister Sonny and upcoming electro-poppers Kaptein Kaliber on board either. But Magnet himself is the star of his own show, his outstanding voice and lap-steel defining the music, giving it personality and life.
His songs aren't the kind that jump about to get your attention, but repeated listening will reveal moments of profound and stunning intimacy and beauty, music that exists in spite of as much as because of misery and despair.
Dagsavisen | June 2002 | by Geir Rakvaag
Magnet er nesten bare Even Johansen, en gang medlem i Chocolate Overdose og Libido. Nå har han fått et godt fotfeste i Storbritannia, og med denne EP-en overbeviser han sikkert utlendingene om at nordmenn er stille, melankolske og innesluttede - og for tida har veldig god smak. I selve «Where Happiness Lives» minner han oss om at lykken er en million mil unna, men at det går an å lage innsmigrende vakker musikk likevel. De andre sangene er mer atmosfæriske, ikke like umiddelbart fengende, men likevel fengslende nok. Et nytt album kommer visst ikke før neste år.
[English translation by Christian] Magnet is almost just Even Johansen, once a member of Chocolate Overdose and Libido. Now he has gotten a nice foothold in Great Britain, and will surely prove to foreigners that Norwegians are quiet, melancholic, and inadverted - and at the time, that they have very nice taste. In Where Happiness Lives, the song he reminds us that happiness is a million miles away, but that you still can make beautiful music. The other songs are more atmospheric, not that catchy at first listen, but still capturing enough. Another album is apparently not going to be released until sometime next year.
Muzik Magazine | July 2002
Magnet's a great new act from Norway. The music sits somewhere to the left of Kings of Convenience and to the right of Radiohead. So they're a bit moody and atmospheric, but somehow uplifting at the same time. And there are some good songs hidden in the textures.
Plan B | June 2002
Etter den fine debuten «Quiet & Still» har Libidos Even Johansen fått kontrakt med britiske Ultimate Dilemma. Disse låtene viser en utvikling i retning mer bruk av diskréte elektroniske virkemidler. Dermed havner han et sted mellom U2 unplugged og Radiohead i det romantiske hjørnet. Heldigvis er melodiene så bra og produksjonen så smakfull at Magnet tiltrekker seg oppmerksomheten på egne premisser. Ut fra de såre stemningsbildene på «Where Happiness Lives EP» er det forståelig at Doves kontaktet bergenseren for å få han med som oppvarmingsartist. Sårbarheten i den inderlige vokalen gir deg klump i halsen – uten at det blir overdrevent sentimentalt. (5/6)
The Fly | June 2002
Ex-LIbido man Even Johansen releases his debut EP in his new Magnet guise. The sweetly enchanting melodies are reminiscent of Elliott Smith in his calmer moments, while the rhythmic heart beats in time with Doves. High praise indeed.
Time Out | June 2002
This is the man who was cured of anaemia by having a magnet tattooed on him in «special ink». The chances of him being a gullible twat where high on the cards; thank God he keeps his music separated from his medical beliefs. The most enjoyable from of heartbreak is surely at someone else’s expense in the recorded form and, along with that tattoo, Even Johansen has surely seen some pain. Which is all the better for making this gorgeous soaring, ethereal slice of cerebral stream. It’s electronic country for the Jeff Buckley generation. I’m of to cry.
The Guardian | June 2002
As a neat counterpoint to all that Summer of love exuberance here comes a Scandinavian to remind us that everything has a downside. Happiness, he sings, is a million miles away. And what a way to twist the knife; the sweetly understated pedal steel and brushed snare are ode to lost joy that should have anyone with a hangover and/or serious emotional problems hanging from the rafters.
Sleazenation | June 2002
Frosty Norwegian electronica has become synonymous with chill-out, but the man Magnet proves the sounds of the Fjords doesn't have to make you snooze. Glacial Scando-pop at it's coolest.
NME | May 2002 | by Mark Beaumont
Typical. Six months after the High Court convicts NAM of aggravated tedium and the Fashion Police start confiscating comfortable footwear from rehearsal rooms throughout the country, someone finally gets it right. Norway’s Magnet have clearly heard 80s pastoral wonderstrummers The Lilac Time and worked out how this Stoned In A Pine Forest business is done proper. Your drummer must resemble a toy steam train three miles away, your pedal steel must twa-yang as though plucked by the pixies and your lyrics must concern being dumped by a blue-eyed girl in gingham. So cuddly it almost makes you think of 1999 without spitting.