ALBUM REVIEW: Midnight (The Final Chapter) – Set It Off
Florida trio SET IT OFF are a band constantly pushing the boundaries of their own brand of pop music with every single album release. From the more alternative focused, catchy pop-punk tunes taken from debut EP Baby, You Don’t Tripajaharda and album Cinematics, to transitioning into a more experimental pop, rock and electronica fusion with later EP After Midnight and LP Midnight.
Set It Off continue to push the envelope and the evolution of their last album, which featured horns, strings and even a gospel choir with their new upcoming release Midnight (The Final Chapter). A follow up from 2020 record Midnight, Midnight (The Final Chapter) is a deluxe collection of tracks from Midnight and supporting EP After Midnight, with an additional three acoustic tracks added into the mix, making for a record that truly marks this final body of work and period in the band’s history.
In celebration of this album’s cycle coming to an end, the three-piece have unveiled the acoustic versions of singles Killer In The Mirror and Lonely Dance. Kicking it off with Killer In The Mirror, which is a song that symbolises a change in the band’s sonic evolution, where an upbeat danceable groove balanced with its predictable pop memorability signifies this dramatic switch in sound. Whether it be the acoustic or the original version, one thing that remains true to this track’s identity is its lyrics.
Detailing vocalist Cody Carson’s newfound fierce and tough attitude towards the survival of life out of pure self-protection. The song-writing and sound for that matter show the more sad side of the message in Killer In The Mirror, enhancing these emotions by introducing the original orchestra and now even acoustic elements in the track to give a feeling of the optimism needed to overcome the challenges life sometimes throws at you as if to say “People will try to hurt you, but you’ll make it out alive every time.”
The second acoustic single Lonely Dance abandons its original danceable vibe for something a little more stripped back and subdued, due to the nature of the reimagined acoustic rendition. The once fiery Latino beat and the upbeat tempo are slowed right on down to just the barebones of instrumentals that include an acoustic guitar, cajon, piano and Carson’s vocals, which make for a reflective and sombre number.
Beyond the solid acoustic and non-acoustic quality of single Killer In The Mirror, songs such as hook ladened, dark-pop tune Hourglass, infectious singalong bop For You Forever and the beautiful piano ballad Unopened Window stand up as some of the songs that take this new pop-tinged direction SET IT OFF are clearly heading in. They execute them with the precision, accuracy and the band’s genuine passion for this genre, as opposed to tapping into it just to get the album thrown into the mainstream charts.
Whereas the same moderate praise can’t be said for other tracks taken from Midnight like Dancing With The Devil, Go To Bed Angry, So Predictable (which is ironically so predictable) and the large number of tracks remaining on the record for that matter. From forgettable muted vocals in Dancing With The Devil to the mundane electro-pop attempt of a track in Go To Bed Angry, a song that sounds as if the entirety of THE CHAINSMOKERS back catalogue met SIGRID’s smash hit Strangers and any tracks in between and beyond just fall short of something remotely good.
Midnight (The Final Chapter) finds itself in a strange situation. As a full-blown pop record, fans of this music will lap this LP up. Whereas the longtime SET IT OFF supporter will feel otherwise underwhelmed and disappointed by this effort, a far cry from the early days of pop-punk music that made up a heavy portion of the band’s material. Whilst its acoustic songs Killer In The Mirror, Lonely Dance and Happy All The Time on the deluxe album exhibit the trio’s undeniable ability to adapt and reimagine their songs in a completely different light, as a cohesive body of work, the whole Midnight chapter in SET IT OFF’s career is sure to be waved goodbye fairly quickly by some. Whilst it has its bursts of brilliance, it massively lacks in style and substance in favour of a generic full-length.
Rating: 6/10
Midnight (The Final Chapter) is set for release on June 4th via Fearless Records.
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