Jack Parsons is one of the more peculiar characters in the history of modern science -- by day, he was one of the most respected rocket scientists of the '30s and '40s. By night, he was one of the most enthusiastic acolytes of the occultist Aleister Crowley. It's hard to imagine having any sort of mundane interaction with such a flamboyant and fascinating figure, but this cryptic, intentionally blurred pop song by Philadelphia's A Sunny Day In Glasgow imagines communion with the long-deceased Parsons as an alternately spooky and commonplace activity. The songs feels strange and ethereal, but the implication seems to be that even the most profound and unnatural experiences might seem boring if they become demystified by routine.

Aside from its title, this song by Tujiko Noriko is sung entirely in Japanese, meaning that I have no idea whether or not she's actually singing about magic. I'd like to think that she is, and that she's somehow summoning and resurrecting the spirit of an enormous, dilapidated machine represented by the clinks and clunks of the synthetic beats that serve as the anchor of this otherwise airy electronic ballad. Everything about the song feels soft and muted, but there's a powerful sense of generosity and kindness buried beneath its woozy keyboard drones and rusted beats.

When Elk City's Renee LoBue asks us to "step through a magic door," she isn't imploring us to pass through some literal portal to another realm, but rather to adjust our minds so that our perception of the world is altered and improved. Most definitions of magic explain it as a way of asserting influence on the world around us, and in that sense, we are all capable of reshaping our lives simply by reworking the way we think of ourselves and our relationship to our surroundings. Talking yourself into an optimistic mindset may not be as romantic and exciting as casting a spell, but it certainly has a way of changing everything we sense and experience, especially after a long period of fear, pessimism, and doubt. "Magic Door" may be the final track on Elk City's forthcoming album "New Believers," but it feels like a fresh new beginning.