Strange Majik’s ‘NYC Animal’ — A Soul-Fired Bite of the Big Apple

Madeline M. Dovi
The Riff
Published in
3 min readJan 13, 2024

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Strange Majik at the NYC ANIMAL record release party | Photo: Matt Weinberger

The 1970s saw a revolution in culture, philosophy, music, and overall attitudes towards society. When you think of the 70s, it’s empowerment, shags, lipstick, leather, floor-length fur coats, sexual liberation, hitchhiking, Studio 54 with the undercurrent of rock and roll.

The eclectic, unapologetic decade bore greats across genres, from Bowie to the B52s and The Who to Wild Cherry. Disco has been a major influence in pop for the past few years (see: The Weeknd’s After Hours and Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia), while alternative has a rise in rock and blues — a testament to the era’s posterity.

Enter Strange Majik.

The alter-ego of adroit musician and producer Dave Pattillo, Strange Majik captures the grit and glamour of NYC rock and roll. The lovechild of seventies funk rock, psychedelia, and 2000s indie sleaze, his sound and aesthetic captures a rose-colored snapshot of city nightlife.

Picture strutting down Manhattan’s Lower East Side in leopard print with Mercury Lounge tickets in hand or boarding the F train — leather-and-lipstick-clad — ready to bar hop through Bleecker St.

Pattillo’s voice sounds straight from the seventies: soulful and strong with an unfiltered grit. He masterfully integrates hallmarks of 70s voices while still sounding uniquely Majik.

Strange Majik’s newest record, NYC Animal, is a vignette of the Big Apple’s electric spirit and undying allure. With unbridled energy and edgy slice-of-life lyrics, it takes its listeners through an aural journey of an enduring cityscape.

Album opener and titular single “NYC Animal” is a reimagined mix of Lou Reed’s “Take a Walk on the Wild Side” and David Bowie’s “Queen Bitch.” The lyrics detail a house party featuring a teenage rebel looking to live vicariously through Pamela Des Barres. Pattillo’s subtle anachronisms — namely dropping The Libertines and Outkast in the verses — bring a fresh twist to the track and separate it from its influential predecessors.

One standout is “Black Lashes,” a melancholic retrospective of a woman’s life through the eyes of an observer. Perhaps a significant other, old flame, or an enamored ex? We’re never told, but Pattillo’s heartwrenching lyrics and Doors-esque instrumental is hypnotically haunting. You can picture her, feel for her, feel like you know her, or hell, maybe even been her.

“Manhattan is Back” oozes the unapologetic wit of a bona fide New Yorker: The lyrics paint a picture of the city’s human tapestry over a groovy Nile Rogers-style riff, rendering the track undeniably NYC. “Un Nouvel Amour” leans more modern, a wryly suave dance-rock track in the vein of Franz Ferdinand’s “Do You Want To?”

The record’s B-side softens a bit with “Wise Up,” a soulful R&B track reminiscent of Commodores’ “Easy,” and the album’s closer, “Catalina,” a sun-soaked track about cross-country lovers from opposite ends of I-80.

Pattillo has released five albums, four EPs, and numerous singles under the Strange Majik moniker, yielding an impressive 100+ song discography.

Prior to Strange Majik, Pattillo had already fostered a name for himself from his studio work with The Beastie Boys and Sonic Youth to a producing credit on the PBS series “Live From the Artist’s Den.” His musical acumen is boundless.

So much so that he sonically transports you into his world, leaving a lasting impression of NYC on your soul.

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Madeline M. Dovi
The Riff

born writer. former journalist. lover of musical analysis & different takes. welcome x