Magic Potion

With slacker charm and a sound that splits the difference between classic ’90s American indie rock and scruffy ’60s garage, the Swedish group Magic Potion manage to sound unique thanks to their off-kilter lyrics and hook-heavy songs. They emerged in early 2015 with their debut single “Deep Web,” a summery, laid-back slice of amiable stoner pop. The Stockholm-based quartet quickly found favor with hometown label PNKSLM Recordings, which issued their debut EP, Melt, in the summer of that year. Self-recorded by the band on analog reel-to-reel tape, Magic Potion’s wobbly slacker jams were well-received, and vocalist/guitarist Gustaf Montelius, drummer Andreas Sandberg, bassist Kristoffer Byström, and guitarist Johan Harrius soon got to work on their first full-length. Once again, the sessions were recorded and produced by the band itself and resulted in the Pink Gum LP, which was released in the spring of 2016. The band toured heavily around Scandinavia and Europe, released a song, “Rest Yr Skull,” in 2017, then began work on their second album. Recorded on tape in their rehearsal space, the sound was a little tighter than on their debut, though just as catchy. The band produced it themselves, Byström did the mixing honors, and Endless Graffiti was issued in October of 2018. ~ Timothy Monger