Midlight - “Emergency Song”
A review by Alan Neilson.
Midlight are back, having survived the difficult year that we don’t mention now, in which they released two cracking singles and despite not being able to tour and promote them, managed to find support from 6Music and also joined Brighton’s Airdriver Records, who are releasing the band’s single for 2021: the aptly titled ‘Emergency Song’. The band introduce this new song by saying it “was written at the very start of the pandemic, as the workings of society came to an abrupt halt. The song explores the crisis in a nuanced way, examining the experience of a character who is in a position of power – someone who only knows what it is to live for today in a dog-eat-dog world.”
‘Emergency Song’ is a slight departure from previous releases in that rhythmically it is much less complex allowing the lead vocal and strummed acoustic guitar to take centre stage. It is almost two minutes into the song before the song’s dynamics step up a gear and the hypnotic guitar drones and long synth lines give room to the drum track and a beautifully restrained guitar solo. Melodically it feels like a Gregorian chant with drawn out notes moving only in semi-tones with no great leaps between pitches. It becomes mesmerising as the voices double up and the song builds up tonally into a wall of overlapping drones and sounds. Consequently what Midlight gain through creating this heavy cinematic atmosphere they lose in obvious melodic or rhythmic hooks, but they are there if you listen long enough. The dynamic arc of the song reminds me of Radiohead’s ‘Exit Music (For A Film)’ and it will appeal to those who enjoy the journey of a song rather than a snappy chorus.
On the 7 inch vinyl limited edition fans are also treated to an actual bona fide B side with their new track ‘The Future’s Not Cancelled’ which is exclusive to the vinyl release. It will be a limited run but this song is good enough to warrant rushing to get the vinyl edition, with its laid back more simple arrangement, built around an acoustic guitar and vocal, and containing pertinent lyrics for our time: “This song may not be the song you need to hear right now, but it’s the one that’s coming out of me” - it is a perfect accompaniment to the A side and one of the best songs I have heard about the pandemic with a rousing chorus of “We will get through I know we will”.
The two songs succinctly capture the mood of the last twelve months from the stark realism of ‘Emergency Song’ to the overwhelming optimism of ‘The Future’s Not Cancelled’. It may be that we soon become swamped by pandemic and post-pandemic songs, as we dwell on the old normal, the new normal or the new abnormal. However, Midlight paint with an extremely subtle brush and I am sure there is little chance that these songs will lose their resonance as we move out of this pandemic.
Midlight’s - ‘Emergency Song’ is available now on Airdriver Records.
