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Midnight MoviesMidnight Movies Emperor Norton/Stomp I remember having a conversation with a friend once about the legacy of Stereolab and how they seemed to be a musical dead end: not because they're bad (they're consistently freakin' brilliant), nor because they're unoriginal (they're one of the most idiosyncratic bands on the planet) but because they hadn't spawned a legion of bands clearly influenced by them in the way that, say, the Pixies have. After all, those few that proudly cited them as an influence (the electro-indie Broadcast, for example) don't even sound particularly like them and certainly never matched the organic/mechanical rush of the 'Lab's signature sound, let alone the ice-cool detachment of Laetitia Sadler's voice. I'm forced to revise my position with the release of Midnight Movies' self-titled debut. The LA trio have a similar spirit to the 'Lab's use of tight rhythms and pulsing repetition, but take it to new places: Just To Play, for example, is a hypnotically dark and aggressive two-chord vamp, first single Persimmon Tree matches the sultry darkness of Miranda Sex Garden at their most accessible next to the immerdiately catchy Mirage, while Love Or A Lesson is a cutely off-kilter pop song not a million miles away from mid-period Cure. Sure, one imagines Sadler and Co would have a quiet smile at Tide And Sun or Breathing In Dust, but ideas like Words For A Love Song ("Captured. Consumed. Cherish. Flirt. Potent. Intrigue...") lift already-good material into a new sphere. The songs are often full but the band's use of space ensures that 'Midnight Movies' might sometimes get claustrophobic, but never cluttered. The similarity of dynamic means that after twelve tracks Gena Olivier's voice might move from "gorgeously haunting" to "somewhat emotionless", but when you're in the right mood this record is absolutely perfect.  |
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