It’s been five years since new-wave-y songwriter Catherine Moan took us back to the parts of the 1980s worth remembering with her glowing debut album Chain Reaction. This summer, she’ll return with another slab of ’80s-inspired dance music, although this time she intends to not shy away from the heavy subject matter that put a bit of a damper on that decade—to put things mildly—as well as the one we’re currently enduring. Out July 17 via Born Losers Records, CM Ultra sees Moan reflecting on “media-driven psychological attacks, political campaigns against queer people in America, and her struggle to navigate life in that world,” as the press materials put it, without the music itself taking on any darker tones. Well, maybe it does get a little dark, but only in a Depeche Mode sort of way.
The record’s first single arrives today, with “No Magic” undermining the electro-house mysticism Lady Gaga entered into 2025 with. The catchy, synth-led cut balances heavy electronic percussion against Moan’s matter-of-fact vocal delivery as she dispels any notion of deus ex machina. “[‘No Magic’ is a] moody and energetic resignation of mystical and spiritual coping mechanisms in the face of difficulty,” the artist explains. “It’s about coming down to reality and accepting that there are things you can never change.”
Check out the music video for the new single below, which was directed by Moan’s labelmate Johnny Dynamite, and pre-order your vinyl copy of CM Ultra here before the project drops later this summer.
