Midnight Movies - 'Midnight Movies' (Rykodisc)
4/5
By: JJ Florio
Right, let us not beat around the proverbial bush: this is an absolutely wonderful debut. And why? It all seems to be about beauty, and by this we mean real beauty. As our friend the 'Oxford Dictionary' states, that beauty is, 'the combination of all the qualities of a person or thing that delight the senses and mind.' Noting the word 'all', this does not therefore mean that writing a crap song and then adding strings leaves us with something of beauty (or, should it go over the five minutes mark, 'epic').
Beauty in art is not formulaic and is not only expressed though the vocal chords of overly earnest young men singing about things they really mean. Ask yourself; is the music of Embrace truly beautiful? Real beauty seems to appear when a person or a group of people open their beings up utterly to their art and are not afraid to give of themselves. And now this is what makes the Midnight Movies debut so elite.
With no bass-player and a female lead-singer (who is also the drummer), it is evident that Midnight Movies are not your run-of-the-mill rock n' roll band. Formed in Los Angeles in 2002 the trio came together through contrasting musical backgrounds and tastes, with the only preconceived idea being to try and create something whole through their individual ideas.
The band's sound seems to centre around Gena Olivier's hauntingly soft vocals. The instrumentation almost serves as punctuation to the wonderfully direct lyrical content. On 'Love or a Lesson', which deals with how the infatuation of a lover can lead to feelings of intense paranoia (heavy), the vocals are like a beautiful apparition floating from the speakers to comfort us with the words, 'don't be afraid to embrace each moment because you'll only either gain a love or a lesson.' It'll provoke shivers.
As a band, they create vast cinematic soundscapes, which weaves around a dynamically unwavering vocal, taking us through moments of shimmering intensity to soaring joy. It's like spoken word that has been set to music that is stylistically electronic yet rooted in real playing. Imagine the best of Massive Attack executed by The Band.
Overall, it's the honesty of this record that makes it standout (and it is worth mentioning Fulton Dingley, who has so brilliantly produced). The album sounds exceptionally modern whilst still maintaining the feel of a band in a rehearsal room. Midnight Movies steer their way effortlessly through a rich tapestry of musical poems with an amazing sense of carefree conviction. As players, they are instinctively in-sync with each other to such an extent, that the music lilts and sways, as if a single force is nurturing it. All the different aspects, from the lyrics onwards have been pieced together in such a way, that every element serves to support each other, which in turn supports the whole. Midnight Movies are like a perfectly intricate artistic machine in which no part is redundant or could exist without the other.
On this debut there are no orchestral string-sections, big choruses or sincerely earnest sentiments. Just a real and potent statement of how three kids from LA happen to be feeling. And that, friends, is where the real beauty lies.
Artists in this article: Midnight Movies
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