SWAY INTO ALT-POP WITH POWERFUL DEBUT ALBUM FROM MIDNIGHT SWIM

ALBUM REVIEW | MIDNIGHT SWIM – MIDNIGHT SWIM by Morgan Hermiston

With many alt-pop releases, they often observe one side of that genre title. With this self-titled debut from Midnight Swim, every avenue of alternative and pop is ventured into, then vividly joined together. While creating the contents of each track, the band acted within personifications of different concepts, as well as adhering to their own personal experiences and reflections. The twelve-track production not only pulls together different areas of the same genre, but provides a huge array of resonance and raw revelations.

‘Tease‘ is the opening track to Midnight Swim, and some songs definitely have a destiny to become a dynamic beginning to a record. Discussing the fluctuating feelings of being someone’s temporary fix, frontman Jack Valentine sings, “I know that you don’t want me, but you’re needing me right now“. These fluctuations follow into the second song, ‘Play It Cool (Wanting More)‘. Lyrics like, “wait don’t leave, I wanna know, am I what you’re looking for,” paint a vulnerable and almost desperate desire to hear the answers you want to hear. Drawing from a Don Broco influence, there are some sonic similarities that provide the album with an almost immediate familiar and nostalgic feel.

Listeners are then led into ‘Shaking You From My Feelings Would Be Easier If You Were Dead‘. This third track is one that combines the two primary elements of alt-pop. While this particular tune is more in a pop position on that range, there are lively links between it and tracks 8 and 9. ‘Push Back‘ and ‘Do You Want To Get Away‘ are heavier songs that dynamically demonstrate how catchy choruses won’t disintegrate a harder shell or integrity. The former is centred more around bass riffs initially, with the latter being more guitar heavy, but all three of these are atmospheric additions to the album.

‘Don’t Wanna Talk About It‘ is the lead single from Midnight Swim. Contrasting with a later track, this too is a heavier offering. The thunderous tempo leads and ties in turmoil and turbulence. Certain lines are wound between being a whisper and more of a growl, furthering that divide yet drawing together too. Sixth song ‘Sinners‘, which appears a little later on, hones in on this heavier side too. Raw vocals make another appearance with lyrics such as, “maybe I’d be better off six feet underground“.

Adding in another twist to an already atmospheric album, ‘In The Rain, By The Car‘ features guest vocals from Shannon Gillespie. This duet features an excellently executed call and answer approach, with Valentine singing lines like, “tell me what’s it like to be in love“, and Gillespie answering, “don’t ask me“. Combining Valentine’s vocals, guitar work from Danny Heaton and Matt Lunn fuse with bass lines by Matty Ashton, and foundation-forming drums from Liam Clough.

There are two points from Midnight Swim that I feel stand out. When you hear that an album is of an alt-pop nature, you probably have an idea of what it may sound like. Tracks like ‘Bend & Break‘ change that mould. It contains the repetitive line, “you don’t know that I’m still holding on,” and there is a slow build-up from a more ballad influenced style. This perfectly depicts what Valentine says about the album, “it’s been fun to play out some of the themes like an actor“. The song acts almost as a picturesque personification of the idea of give and take. This conceptualisation creates an in-depth dynamic to this debut that I think is quite rare to find nowadays.

The other standout point for me is ‘The Last Song I’ll Write About You‘. Written early on, it is the direct contrast to the aforementioned ‘Don’t Wanna Talk About It‘. Vocalist James Veck-Gilodi [Deaf Havana] was invited along, after previously working with Lunn and Ashton, and gave Midnight Swim an insight into the recording and production process. The bass riffs are part of a fusion with lighter guitar hooks and steady drums that brings the pop part of the genre further into fruition.

‘Fade‘ and ‘Like You Love To‘ are the two closing melodies of this memorable debut from Midnight Swim. Both double down on a thumping tempo, with slight distortion in the vocals of ‘Fade‘ that drives an edge. Despite the distorted nature, it’s still effortless to make out the lyrics, and acts as a way of conceptualising the track’s title. ‘Like You Love To‘ is the longest in duration at over five minutes, but every second is a well-constructed closing melody. The stripped back serenity towards the end draws us away from the catchy chorus theme for a final time, sounding like a different tune entirely. I love that it doesn’t just cut out abruptly, but slowly serenades you back out of the tumultuous journey that Midnight Swim takes you on.

This debut record from Midnight Swim revels in resonance, revealing different sides to both the band themselves, and the style of music that they’re making their own. Valentine had described the album as being reminiscent of the memories that play back in the small hours, flirting with the idea that flashbacks can fire inspiration when we least expect it. As debut albums go, this is an impressive one. It’s not normally a genre I’d find myself listening to that often, but this eclectic escapade could potentially change that.

Midnight Swim, and Shannon Gillespie, take on the band’s sold out album launch in Manchester on September 17th at Castle Hotel. Keep an eye out on their socials for future show announcements.