“Magic Mirror Story Book” - Duane Hoover

Feature

30 Oct

With Magic Mirror Story Book, Hoover steps into a richer, more cinematic chapter of his artistic evolution — one that feels less like a follow-up to Wayward Path and more like a widening of the lens. Where the previous album moved with immediacy — jangling guitars, confident stride, and a youthful rush — Magic Mirror Story Book glows with a warm, dreamlike introspection. It’s the sound of an artist learning to look backward and forward at once, not trapped by nostalgia but in conversation with it.

The singles “Just An Everyday Thing” and “Nowhere” hint at the album’s emotional palette: wistful, melodic, reflective, yet never weighed down. There’s still the bite of British alt-pop running through the songwriting — that lineage of chiming guitars and sharp melodic phrasing — but the edges feel softened by time, memory, and a deeper patience.

The album feels like moving slowly through an old photo album — where the images flicker depending on your mood, and where the line between what happened and what you remember begins to blur. Layers of chiming guitar, subtle orchestration, and warm analog textures give the record a filmic glow. There’s a sense of motion — not forward exactly, but inward. The songs don’t just play; they unfold.

Hoover’s voice, too, sits differently here — not straining to be heard, but inviting you in. Call it maturity, call it confidence, call it simply knowing when to let space do the talking. It’s a performance that trusts silence as much as sound.

If Wayward Path was a youthful step into open air, Magic Mirror Story Book is the quiet walk home at sunset, where everything looks different and somehow more meaningful. It’s a record that cherishes the past without clinging to it — one that understands reflection is not the same as repetition.

It’s a testament to Hoover’s ability to evolve without abandoning the core of what makes his music resonate: melody with memory, reflection with warmth, and forward motion with heart.

A mirror can show you who you were — or who you’re becoming.

This album does both.

“Magic Mirror Story Book” is available now on all major streaming platforms