SEA GIRLS DEMONSTRATE A MUSICAL METAMORPHOSIS THROUGH LATEST ALBUM ‘MIDNIGHT BUTTERFLIES’

ALBUM REVIEW | SEA GIRLS – MIDNIGHT BUTTERFLIES by Morgan Hermiston

If you’re a fan of indie, rock or anything in between, then you’ve definitely heard of Sea Girls. The quartet are staples in UK indie with anthems like ‘Damage Done’ and ‘Violet’. Both of these tracks are taken from their 2020 debut album, “Open Up Your Head”. Since then, the group released “Homesick” in 2022, which includes other popular tunes like ‘Paracetamol Blues’, ‘Sick’ and ‘Lonely’. In between each record, Sea Girls have found themselves on extensive UK tours, performing fan-favourites and debuting unreleased material. During these live shows, anticipation and excitement grew for the release of Sea Girls third studio record, “Midnight Butterflies”. With 6 singles already released, it was intriguing to see what else Sea Girls had to offer.

This album is arguably Sea Girls’ best yet. It incorporates the familiar and popular concepts from the previous two records but has allowed Henry Camamile, Rory Young, Andrew Dawson and Oli Khan to continue to push boundaries and explore different avenues of sound. “Midnight Butterflies” has given Sea Girls, and their fans, the opportunity to revel in an air of reflection. It perfectly conceptualises the idea of coming to terms with feelings that are sometimes difficult to comprehend. Fans will definitely resonate with certain lyrics, creating a seamless connection between listeners and Sea Girls just through words. The picturesque portrayals of themes like reminiscing, dreaming of the future and finding ourselves are creatively comforting. However, there are still tracks you can dance along to without thinking of the lyrical content.

‘Midnight Butterflies’ and ‘After Hours’ are the first and final songs of the record. They perfectly summarise Sea Girls’ intention and messages. Starting with the final track ‘After Hours’, this is a track that demonstrates a life lesson we may all encounter. It talks of accepting that we can’t always be with the person we may long to be with. With a simple melody and beautiful lyrics like “I wanna be part of your exhibition”, there is an element of heartbreak, but acceptance that life doesn’t go the way we want it to. The title track helps to symbolise the lifelong transformation of learning and growing, to evolve into beautifully unique personalities. Everyone should be allowed to choose the life they wish for themselves, “we’re both midnight butterflies”, free to fly and float towards our dreams and goals, regardless of the hurdles we may face.

In this latest record, Sea Girls toy with the turmoil we all have faced in terms of whether we should remain who we are, or change to appeal to someone else. ‘Young Strangers’ and ‘I Want You To Know Me’ are two equally immersive tracks that appear to contrast in their underlying messages. Both of these tracks are incredibly attention grabbing, with ‘Young Strangers’ offering a familiar feel to tracks from their debut album, and ‘I Want You To Know Me’ resembling the likes of ‘Paracetamol Blues’ from the second record. The simplicity of ‘Young Strangers’ is part of its charm, discussing how it’s okay that we’re all different. Catchy lines like “we might seem different but we’re not that special,” and “I’m a lot more like you than you like,” help maintain this message. ‘I Want You To Know Me’ talks of the opposite, “I wanna be somebody I don’t know”. With lyrics including, “a boy like me wants to be someone like you,” there is an air of vulnerability, a young person longing to be someone else.

That particular tune also takes us back to more simple times, “you shared your dreams and I said nothing at all.” This kind of approach is present in the likes of ‘Come Back To Me’. Being energetic, yet still easy to follow, this is also one of the shortest, along with ‘Polly’. Both are under three minutes, and are over far too soon. But this only means playing them on repeat to fully appreciate them. ‘Come Back To Me’ surrounds growing and learning our preferences. The anthemic sound includes lyrics like, “I wasn’t ready then, but I’m ready now,” further demonstrating the evolution that Sea Girls intended through the record. ‘Polly’ is an equally simple track that surrounds the noticeable notion of becoming “besotted with someone”, as described by Sea Girls themselves. Influenced by The Beatles’ 1965 song ‘Girl’, both talk of liking someone too cool for us. This person, by today’s standards, is probably too toxic for us, “you’re the kind of girl that makes me sad.” ‘Polly’ contains the quirks that make it a quintessential Sea Girls track. It is an amalgamation of concepts, merging cliche connotations with an individualistic spin.

Carrying on with the concept of reflecting, the record’s longest song ‘Horror Movies’ discusses the simplicity of youth, compared to the uncertainty we experience getting older. As we grow, the fun and brightness of being young seems to fade, “now it’s all about hormones, and feeling different shades of blue.” The lyrics and the accompanying music compliment each other, with Sea Girls reassuring listeners that they, too, have “so many questions,” and very few answers. Tracks like ‘Superman’ fit perfectly alongside this song. ‘Superman’ paints a picture of uncertainty and a downfall. While wording like “the bathroom’s where it starts,” depicts a specific kind of downfall, the overall idea is one that can encompass a range of scenarios. Reassuring sentiments like “keep the car returning, superman’s coming,” begin the chorus followed by asking, “but do you know him?” It can be easier to notice issues from the outside looking in, which is maybe what is meant by this. But either way, it’s a beautiful tune that will provide comfort to many.

‘Does Only God Know That We’re Lonely?’ is my favourite from the record. I think it deserves a paragraph of its own, purely because it is the one that resonates most with me. Lyrics explore the idea of love, symbolised somewhat by a religion. There are religious connotations and the continuous deliberation of asking “is it cool to be something I’m not?” It’s widely accepted that we only have one life. Some may ask why a belief system should morally implicate us from being with someone we love if this is the only life we have. Lyrics seek to know “why I’m here, how long have I got,” and decide “between loving you and giving you up.” There is an atmospheric feeling in this song that will be invigorating to hear live. It is another from “Midnight Butterflies” that is undeniably a Sea Girls song, one that joins together a population of people that are just as uncertain as each other.

With most of Sea Girls’ discography being upbeat and brighter, it was interesting to hear them explore a more slow, sentimental sound. ‘Scream and Shout’ is a track with haunting harmonies between piano and vocals. The stunning, slower tempo allows for uninterrupted understanding of lyrics such as, “if summer’s in the air, then why does it feel like snow.” Words within ‘Scream and Shout’ discuss the heaviness and heartache where there should be happiness, “the loudest thing is the silence without you.” However, on a brighter note, the song doesn’t blame anyone in particular, “we need to change, I know we can.” This optimistic side is evident in ‘First On My List’. With an 80s nostalgic sound resembling bands like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and The Human League, ‘First On My List’ is creatively distinctive from the rest of their catalogue. It begins with Henry listing things of little priority, “there’s no pill that I can take,” before stating, “the fact of it is, you’re the first on my list.” Changes in tempo are intentional and intricately incorporated, providing a temporary energetic feel as we accept that we are prioritising a partner over material aspects.

Referring back to earlier songs like ‘Young Strangers’, Sea Girls discuss the similarities among us all. This is included in ‘Weekends and Workdays’, a song stating how there will always be negativity, regardless of what we do. The 19th Century novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton once wrote, “the pen is mightier than the sword” and this saying is utilised in ‘Weekends and Workdays’ to describe the “different kinds of fucked up fun,” that many participate in. Sea Girls emphasise through phrases like, “mate, don’t let yourself fade away,” that there are always going to be ways that people try to hurt us, but not to lose sight of who we are. “Keep your head up,” is repeated frequently, and I think that’s the perfect lyric to leave this review on.

“Midnight Butterflies” incorporates a methodical mix of nostalgia with modernity, full of mottos and mantras that will merge us together. It contains everything that existing Sea Girls fans love, with experimental elements that will entice new fans too. It is their most effective and eclectic album to date, standing out from a culture of similarities and copies. All of that anticipation and excitement was absolutely worth it.

Sea Girls will be heading on tour soon and you can catch them across the UK in September and October. Tickets are on sale HERE

September
 Thu 26 – Sheffield Octagon
Fri 27 – Newcastle 02 City Hall
Sat 28 – Manchester 02 Apollo
Sun 29 – Glasgow 02 Academy
 
October
 Tue 01 – Nottingham Rock City
Thu 03 – London O2 Academy Brixton
Fri 04 – Cardiff The Tramshed
Sun 06 – Portsmouth Guildhall
Mon 07 – Norwich UEA
Tue 08 – Birmingham O2 Academy
Wed 09 – Liverpool Uni Mountford Hall
Fri – 11 Dublin The Academy Dublin
Sat 12 – Belfast Limelight
 

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