Many claim to have it...but very few truly do. Yes, I am talking about the 'magic touch'; that elusive, fairy dusted poke of genius. We've heard plenty of artists talk about it, and seen their eyes light up whenever they recall those moments in the studio or on stage when the 'magic' happened and that coveted caress of musical divination showered upon the band's inspirational pressure points.

Needless to say, it is not easy to come by. I suppose that it is like that one orgasm that truly makes your knees buckle; yes, there may be plenty of electrical nights, but few burn as red as when that special touch is upon you. The reason for my delving into such impassioned detail on this subject matter is quite evident - for when you come across a band that bear the name MAGICK TOUCH, one can't help but wonder. And whilst their debut album "Electric Sorcery" may not offer any new tricks, it nonetheless tends to put a spell on you.

There are no smoke or mirrors here; instead, MAGICK TOUCH's act features a collection of raw, catchy Hard Blues Rock that invokes the spirit of THIN LIZZY with the attitude-laden cry of LA GUNS.  Tracks like "Love Rocket", "Trouble & Luck" and "Dead Man in Chicago" spew out classy blues riffs with the rowdiness of a fiddler at a Mardi-Gras, whilst heavy 80's hitters like "Wildfire" and "Swansong" provide the fireworks.

Yet it is not all as simple as it looks. There is a certain vibe about the sound of this "Electric Sorcery" that sets it apart from the plethora of its genre peers. There are subtle nuances on tracks like "Joker vs Ace" and "Underwater Prison" that almost add some progressive notes to the glamorous blues scaled repertoire; the latter track in particular sounds like something that JETHRO TULL would've laid down were they to record "Aqualung" on the Sunset Strip.

The production is quite classy, although the mix does emphasise the lower end an awful lot and thus ends ups crushing a lot of the guitar licks; having said that, the bass presence on this record is truly remarkable and it is safe to say that the rhythm section carries the album all the way through. The vocals on the other hand are unfortunately too plain and thus dampen the otherwise vibrant tones of the songs.

Overall - "Electric Sorcery" may indeed have your card, even though the deck is clearly hidden up its sleeve.  MAGICK TOUCH offer a sleazy albeit well-behaved record that tries to put a new touch on an old formula, and whilst you may have seen this show before, you should nonetheless buy a ticket.