Synth-pop duo Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin — better known as Magdalena Bay — released two singles, “Human Happens” and “Paint Me A Picture,” on Oct. 17. This comes directly after their release of “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes” on Sept. 26.
Before its official release on streaming, “Paint Me A Picture” debuted live in concert on Sept. 18, cementing it as part of the duo’s “Imaginal Mystery Tour” setlist.
In an Instagram post announcing “Human Happens” and “Paint me a Picture,” Magdalena Bay referred to the singles as “another pair of songs that complement each other. Different than the last, different than the next.” Following the post, the duo released their next pair of singles “Unoriginal” and “Black-Eyed Susan Climb” on Oct. 31.
While the two current sets of singles have Magdalena Bay’s signature psychedelic sound, “Second Sleep” and “Star Eyes” have an unequivocal jazz quality to them, incorporating violins, cellos and saxophones into their production. In comparison, “Human Happens” and “Paint Me A Picture” are distinctly pop, with heavier synths and distorted electric guitar that are reminiscent of the group’s sophomore album “Imaginal Disk.”
Of the two new tracks, “Human Happens” is the standout, drawing listeners in with the contrast of its dense verses and simplistic chorus.
Throughout the verses, the duo tactfully explores the consequences of human war and conquest as Tenenbaum sings, “This town is changin’, it’s fadin’ / I guess it’s for the takin’.” This line illustrates how the nature of conquest strips places of their original cultural value and significance, causing them to fade and leave room for the ones who took them to enforce their own culture and ideology. Then, as Tenenbaum deems this “A curse for conquerors,” she acknowledges that the need to entice war in the name of conquest is inherently foolish, as it merely spells death and destruction for those it surrounds.
In the chorus, Tenenbaum’s beautiful voice lightly sings, “Human happens / Stupid havoc.” At first, the lyrical simplicity of this chorus feels rather stark against the density of the verses, making it feel somewhat lackluster. However, this initial impression is immediately deconstructed upon the notion that this lyrically light chorus reflects the straightforward cause of war and conquest: human greed. In comparison, the density of the verses reflects how exceedingly complex ramifications can stem from something inherently simple, evoking a sort of butterfly effect.
Unlike “Human Happens,” the allure of “Paint Me A Picture” comes from the chorus, as Tenenbaum sings, “Every minute, every hour, every screen / Just stare, I’ll be there.” These lyrics perfectly portray people’s relationship with technology — specifically social media — as it indicates how they’re constantly enamored by it, even when in the presence of others. Meanwhile, the mesmerizing, dreamy tone with which Tenenbaum sings these lyrics really hooks the listener to the melody, further reflecting the captivating and addictive quality of social media.
From there, she claims that “the camera doesn’t really see / It just stares / Stares and stares.” This line frames how social media is inherently artificial, failing to capture — or see — the true authentic character of those who participate in it. Instead, the way the camera redundantly “stares” reveals how this inauthenticity can often spark negativity, causing the subject to hyperfixate on little details of themselves and subsequently pick them apart.
Though not the strongest of Magdalena Bay’s recent singles after the most recent release of “Unoriginal” and “Black-Eyed Susan Climb,” “Human Happens” and “Paint me a Picture” are both solid songs in the scope of Magdalena Bay’s discography and a welcome addition nonetheless. Fans can expect to hear these tracks live as the duo begins the European leg of their “Imaginal Mystery Tour” on Feb. 2, with the final show being on Feb. 26.
Travis Foley is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2025 quarter. He can be reached at tdfoley@uci.edu.
Edited by Corinna Chin and Joshua Gonzales