The Paupers - Magic People (1967)

The Paupers' first LP was eclectic but rather unmemorable, straddling period psychedelia, folk-rock, and pop/rock. Although the band was Canadian, there are some echoes of some of the more progressive New York bands caught between the singles-dominated and album-dominated eras of '60s rock, such as the Lovin' Spoonful and the Blues Project. The harder rockers sometimes go into slightly freaky guitar scrapes and drum rolls, and occasionally into brief semi-psychedelic jam passages. Better are the slower, folkier numbers with deep, deliberate vocals and a haunting atmosphere. These recall early Tim Buckley or the most folk-rock-influenced Blues Project cuts a bit, as on "Tudor Impressions," which is about the best of the songs. There are plenty of tight harmonies and versatile musicianship, but the songwriting simply isn't outstanding enough to make it matter too much.