It's been three years since RARB has heard any recorded music by The Madison Project from James Madison University. And the wait has been worth it. 24K Magic is a pretty cool party jam for the start of 2017. I wouldn't say that the track is award-winning caliber, but it does portend what greatness could be just around the corner.

What this single has going for it is creativity in the arrangement and excellent production values. Being a funk/hip-hop song, the original 24K Magic can be a bit repetitive, but luckily enough this arrangement never falls into that trap. There's even a bit of an Easter Egg at 3:04 with a throw-away background riff from another song that'll make you smile. Sound-wise, through iTunes the energy comes across as a bit muted and overly condensed, but in listening to the track on YouTube my speakers sparkle with an effervensent sound. The party is laid out for the listener and all you have to do is enjoy the ride. And enjoy it I do, except...

Never have I wished so hard for back phrasing on a song in my life. Most of the funk is stripped from the song with incessant and insistent singing on top of the beat. Every downbeat seems to line up perfectly, every "wah" hits pretty hard, even every drum beat is predictable. The whole package is like a youngster coming across as "cute" when he's trying to have the swagger of his older brother. It ain't happening kid, it just ain't happening.

So while the Madison Project didn't reach the potential that it could have, even with the explicit version of this song, there is a bit of 24K Magic after all.