MIDNITE CITY – In At The Deep End (2023) *HQ*
UK melodic rockers MIDNITE CITY consisting of frontman Rob Wylde, lead guitarist Miles Meakin, keyboardist Shawn Charvette, bassist Josh “Tabbie” Williams and new drummer Ryan Briggs will be releasing their fourth full-length studio album ”In At The Deep End” via Pride & Joy Music on June 23, 2023. The record was produced by Midnite City, mixed by Chris Laney (Europe, CrashDiet, Crazy Lixx) and mastered by Classe Persson.
This is a band that has made its mark in the world of melodic hard rock in just a few short years, with each release being stronger than what came before, and with ”In At The Deep End” the guys shows no signs of waning.
MIDNITE CITY tick every single box when it comes to late 80s style rock, from party-ready anthems, to melodic rock monsters, to heartfelt power ballads, it’s all here in abundance.
After the alarm sounds in the ‘Outbreak (intro)’ is incorporated into the first song ‘Ready To Go’, we have a kick ass rocker that is everything you would want in an opening track. Full of vigor and panache, it sets up high expectations for what is to come.
‘Someday’ has a feel-good kick off drenched in AOR swagger. It’s the little things that I get jazzed about and for me, I love the drum break at the end of the bridge that tells the listener “Get ready to sing along” just before the chorus hits. Once it does, you will be compelled to sing, or at least bob your head up and down in melody and approval.
One of the best AOR songs of the year – a winner.
Some other great tracks include ‘Good Time Music’, a song written specifically with Summer in mind. You can practically feel the sunshine with this one. ‘All Fall Down’ is the perfect live track with a call and response chorus option that the band is sure to use to great effect. The version here is a good song that could have been made greater had the band gone a half-step higher in the chorus to make those background vocals pop as they inevitably will in a live setting.
The band has an effective chorus with the next track ‘Girls Gone Wild’. Vocalist Rob Wylde reaches slightly higher and makes this song one of the catchiest on the album. A terrific opening with keys and a single pounding snare that fires up the listener. The chorus key change is perfect, even though it borrows a bit from the Belinda Carlisle song ‘Heaven Is A Place On Earth’, especially in the keys and cadence. Another track that is sure to be a fan favorite and should be considered as a single.
The album has two songs that I will call “Sequels”. Ballad ‘Hardest Heart To Break’ sounds similar in tone and album placement to ‘Fire Inside’, a track off their last album. That’s not a knock on ‘Hardest Heart…’, it’s just different enough that both tracks are winners. I was blown away by ‘Fire Inside’ when I first heard it, making a similar song in the same area as the last album less fresh but equally rewarding.
The other “sequel” is the horror track. Their last album had ‘They Only Come Out at Night’ with an accompanying horror-themed video. This album has ‘Raise The Dead’. However, the tempos are much different with a higher energy level attributed to this track. The band background vocals in the verses make it slightly better than where they’re applied in the chorus. Just what the album needed as this song is placed between two ballads.
Regarding the three ballads featured, one of them is unfortunately a clunker. ‘It’s Not Me It’s You’ has some awkward lyrics that would be better suited for an angry rocker. Lines like “I wanna make you hurt, like the way you screwed me over” accompanied by a slow tempo makes the track feel like it was lost in translation. I would not be surprised if the lyrics were written with a faster tempo in mind and then reworked to fit into this musical number.
Regarding production, Chris Laney takes over for Pete Newdeck and creates the sonic equivalent of gold. His skills take what makes this band special and elevates it one step further. He knows what it takes to get the best sound from this band and his talents behind the board make him one of the best in the business.
”In At The Deep End” is the perfect soundtrack to blast from a car while driving down to the beach. It hits all the right buttons if you take it on the road with you. This CD takes the band on an upward trajectory, with this album overall being slightly stronger than their last release, which I rated highly.
If you loved their last release, then you are going to want to pick this up as well and start the Summer season in the best possible way, driving with the windows down, the sun shining, and this album cranked to 11.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
01 – Outbreak (intro)
02 – Ready To Go
03 – Someday
04 – Hardest Heart To Break
05 – Good Time Music
06 – All Fall Down
07 – Girls Gone Wild
08 – Beginning Of The End
09 – Raise The Dead
10 – It’s Not Me It’s You
11 – Like There’s No Tomorrow
Rob Wylde – vocals
Miles Meakin – guitars
Shawn Charvette – keys
Josh “Tabbie” Williams – bass
Ryan Briggs – drums
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