ALBUM REVIEW: Issue #2 – The Middlenight Men
THE MIDDLENIGHT MEN are ready to release the follow-up to their debut album Issue #1 in the form of the aptly titled Issue #2. The band themselves are the brainchild of singer and guitarist Nick Hughes (TERRORVISION), and drummer Leon Cave (STATUS QUO), with their musical collaborations, history and links going back over two decades. So, what does THE MIDDLENIGHT MEN represent to them? Well, the dreams and thoughts that come in our sleep.
That comparison feels appropriate as a lot of the tracks on Issue #2 feel like a fever dream, but in the best way. That is to say that there’s no set sound or genre; things go in so many different directions, and at times the album feels like the soundtrack to your own movie.
The latter point is highlighted with the opening track named The Middlenight Men Theme, which sounds a little silly and it would be easy to expect something truly ridiculous, and yet it isn’t. Sure, it might be a little cheesy but given that it feels like it’s meant to sound like the opening of a 90s action movie with its energetic rock sound, it’s easy to overlook the ridiculousness and just have fun. More than anything, it’s almost the perfect opening track for an album to create a theme song detailing some backstory about who the band are and how they came to be.
A bit of an ongoing theme with the album, continuing with the feeling of being in your own movie, is the theatrical side of things. Whether it’s small movie references, as heard in the dramatic yet empowering Nightlines that contains a nod towards 10 Things I Hate About You, or the way you find yourself imagining certain scenes. Living In The Heart Of Hell contains bluesy elements that make you picture yourself sat in the desert around a campfire as a serious talk happens around you, and yet you feel hopeful;, while The Fear’s fast guitar riffs have you pumped and ready to face any battle heading your way.
Other standout moments include what seem to be tributes to other artists and their iconic songs, where they take one section and rework it into something brand new. Sirens opens with a riff that sounds near identical to LED ZEPPELIN’s Whole Lotta Love, reworked into a song that heavily features synths and electronic rock elements, while Best Days Of Our Lives uses the same vocal rhythm heard in QUEEN’s Killer Queen and places it in an anthemic pop-punk track.
Overall, Issue #2 is a fun record that follows no rules and has you ready to face anything. Whether it’s a fight in your mind or one in real life, you’ll find the motivational to face it.
Rating: 8/10
Issue #2 is set for release on April 12th via Middlenight Records.
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