I believe I ran across this while searching the UK charts a couple of months ago. My guess is it had reappeared when the Limited Edition was released. The original came out last July, so I guess adding four live tracks worked its intent. I liked what I sampled so I took the dive. And it's a keeper.
As I have learned, "The Runaway" is their third record, a departure from the first two, and comparatively a disappointment according to the charts and sales. The first two LP's cracked the UK Top 10 Albums and the debut charted four singles. That's setting the bar quite high out of the box. "Runaway" barely crept past 50 before the Ltd.Ed. came out, and I don't know how far the reissue moved up, if so. From what I've read, it's not as happy, poppy, hooky as its predecessors, but I have no exposure to them, and I believe this album stands on its own sound very well. Let me list the artists that sprang to mind while listening to this record; Mama & Papas, Prefab Sprout, Dream Academy, Fleet Foxes, early MMJ, and Angus & Julia Stone. Imagine my surprise when I found out that, much like the Stone kids, Magic Numbers are two sets of siblings. Can't say the sisters fit the "beard rock" moniker like the guys, so let's call the girls gothy. Who cares when they craft a record like this beauty? They employ lots of 60's studio tricks, reverb, multitrack vocals, etc., strings and brass, and the overall production has that warm, fuzzy feeling. The final studio track is split between a song and a gorgeous 4 1/2 minute orchestral piece, a fitting finish for the CD. The four live tracks are on their own disc, which is a smart move since they are repeat songs from the studio record. I wasn't initially impressed with the vocals, but the one track where they faltered could have been early in the set and/or the sound man hadn't adjusted the knobs properly. The music is outstanding, so I would suggest a video search for some of the live excerpts if interested.
Don't look for "Runaway" domestically. It's available at a reasonable price for import, but stick to the original version. I don't feel the live tracks justify the extra $7.
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