Rocker (feedbot)
Platinum Member
The heatwave never seems to end. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to live near an open body of water. You might know of the dangers. The air heats quickly but the water is cold. Leap in, and you might get a shock. You might have a cardiac arrest. You might die. If you take a Midnight Swim the air is cooler, you’re less likely to be shocked, but at of course, there’s no one around to save you.
Maybe this sounds familiar, maybe you’re from Manchester like Midnight Swim. Even if you’re not, you should probably check out their self-titled debut. They’re a rock band and, after collecting their scattered singles onto 2023’s ‘Into The Night’ EP, they’re ready to break the surface.
Shock derives from the unexpected, a sharp jolt to the senses. You’re less likely to experience it if you submerge yourself slowly. So if you’re familiar with bands like Anberlin, Kids In Glass Houses or You Me At Six – rock bands with something heavy in their DNA – you’ll easily slip into the sound. They’re keen to describe it as ‘alt-pop’ but there’s something else beneath the surface, a love for swaying rhythms that invites you to dance.
Bodies of water, with their shimmering surfaces, are renowned for what they hide. Once you immerse yourself in the record, you’ll find it behaves in the same way. This is partly because of the band’s roots in a variety of local bands, meaning you can hear all kinds of interesting influences coming together to create the whole.
Over the summer, the moors above Manchester have been on fire. Occasional tongues of flame, heat, smoke, moments of intensity, but the defining characteristic is how it creeps up on you, spreading until the whole area is engulfed in flames. That’s also how the record works. It has a slow-burning quality that takes a little time to get going, and it’s all to do with the sound. Danny Heaton and Matt Lunn’s interwoven guitar parts have a rough, crinkly sound that helps shape the music. Although they use riffs to drive ‘Tease’ and ‘Don’t Want To Talk About It’, there is an undercurrent that powers songs like ‘Play It Cool’ which operates more like a corkscrew, drawing you along with its momentum. At its best, ‘Push Back’ is built around a huge, funky bassline from Matty Ashton, and the solo part on ‘I Don’t Wanna Talk About It’ proves that he can skillfully control their swagger.
Some of the songs also feel more alt-rock than others. On ‘Sinners’ this is a trick of the bright guitar tone, while on ‘Do You Want To Get Away’ they use wide, strummed chords like a reflecting pool. Other elements are blended into the sound, giving it unexpected flavours and character, especially more ballad-like ‘Bend & Break’ or the way the softened guitar effects on ‘In The Rain, By The Car’ actually sound like rainfall. Indeed, you’d be hard pushed to find a song title that captures the experience of visiting Manchester’s reservoirs so accurately.
Sitting by the reservoir, perhaps on a picnic rug, at the foot of the moorland you might hear the song of a ring ouzel, the cackle of ducks or the fascinating call of a heron. Each bird has its own distinctive sound and likewise Jack Valentine has a genuinely interesting voice. His singing style favours a slightly unnatural, forced sound as though deepened by back of his throat, making him sound chunky and powerful but tense. This gives him opportunity to do the opposite which leads to fascinating sections where he relaxes and sighs out syllables, creating a wash of emotion. It’s a delightful trick.
Reservoirs can appear to be natural bodies of water but are manmade, constructed from a series of choices but contained within a solid wall. Valentine’s songwriting does something similar, so while he uses repetition to create choruses, adds simple refrains or cries of ‘Hey!’ it is all braced inside the driving guitar parts. This is notable on the rock-solid ‘Tease’ which makes for a kind of effective brainworm. ‘Play It Cool’ even experiments with a vocal tick that is both surprisingly tasteful and extremely brief. However, he’s also a storyteller and on songs like ‘Fade’ or the softer parts of ‘Bend & Break’ he creates a narrative and sense of character with the restrained framework. It’s an effective piece of work.
As a debut album, it establishes the band’s sound, contains catchy singles, offers varied style and paints with broad scope. Each song has different energy and swagger making it feel pleasingly varied. In fact, it ticks all the boxes, and Valentine says it best on the album’s strongest cut ‘In The Rain, By The Car’ when he ‘Can’t stop thinking about it’.
A sense of motion runs through the album and although the record’s second half features slower songs like ‘This Is The Last Song I’ll Write About You’, there’s enough power balladry about it to save it from being lacklustre. It’s also where you find ‘Like You Love To’ which gives the band chance to play something a little more expansive.
Valentine repeatedly sets the song’s subjects against time. Phrases like ‘soon’ and ‘when’ create a sense of vague motion and hint at the slow drive of change, of indecision. It’s an interesting tension, particularly when combined with the mid-tempo music. This is also evident during the shouted verses of ‘Don’t Wanna Talk About It‘ as though he isn’t quite sure of his own aggression.
It has been a curious summer, aside from the perils of cold water and moorland fires, Manchester’s mayor left to lead the country, drawing attention to the city. What better time for the band to release their debut.
‘Midnight swim’ is a slow-burning rock record with hidden depths.
IAN KENWORTHY
Maybe this sounds familiar, maybe you’re from Manchester like Midnight Swim. Even if you’re not, you should probably check out their self-titled debut. They’re a rock band and, after collecting their scattered singles onto 2023’s ‘Into The Night’ EP, they’re ready to break the surface.
Shock derives from the unexpected, a sharp jolt to the senses. You’re less likely to experience it if you submerge yourself slowly. So if you’re familiar with bands like Anberlin, Kids In Glass Houses or You Me At Six – rock bands with something heavy in their DNA – you’ll easily slip into the sound. They’re keen to describe it as ‘alt-pop’ but there’s something else beneath the surface, a love for swaying rhythms that invites you to dance.
Bodies of water, with their shimmering surfaces, are renowned for what they hide. Once you immerse yourself in the record, you’ll find it behaves in the same way. This is partly because of the band’s roots in a variety of local bands, meaning you can hear all kinds of interesting influences coming together to create the whole.
Over the summer, the moors above Manchester have been on fire. Occasional tongues of flame, heat, smoke, moments of intensity, but the defining characteristic is how it creeps up on you, spreading until the whole area is engulfed in flames. That’s also how the record works. It has a slow-burning quality that takes a little time to get going, and it’s all to do with the sound. Danny Heaton and Matt Lunn’s interwoven guitar parts have a rough, crinkly sound that helps shape the music. Although they use riffs to drive ‘Tease’ and ‘Don’t Want To Talk About It’, there is an undercurrent that powers songs like ‘Play It Cool’ which operates more like a corkscrew, drawing you along with its momentum. At its best, ‘Push Back’ is built around a huge, funky bassline from Matty Ashton, and the solo part on ‘I Don’t Wanna Talk About It’ proves that he can skillfully control their swagger.
Some of the songs also feel more alt-rock than others. On ‘Sinners’ this is a trick of the bright guitar tone, while on ‘Do You Want To Get Away’ they use wide, strummed chords like a reflecting pool. Other elements are blended into the sound, giving it unexpected flavours and character, especially more ballad-like ‘Bend & Break’ or the way the softened guitar effects on ‘In The Rain, By The Car’ actually sound like rainfall. Indeed, you’d be hard pushed to find a song title that captures the experience of visiting Manchester’s reservoirs so accurately.
Sitting by the reservoir, perhaps on a picnic rug, at the foot of the moorland you might hear the song of a ring ouzel, the cackle of ducks or the fascinating call of a heron. Each bird has its own distinctive sound and likewise Jack Valentine has a genuinely interesting voice. His singing style favours a slightly unnatural, forced sound as though deepened by back of his throat, making him sound chunky and powerful but tense. This gives him opportunity to do the opposite which leads to fascinating sections where he relaxes and sighs out syllables, creating a wash of emotion. It’s a delightful trick.
Reservoirs can appear to be natural bodies of water but are manmade, constructed from a series of choices but contained within a solid wall. Valentine’s songwriting does something similar, so while he uses repetition to create choruses, adds simple refrains or cries of ‘Hey!’ it is all braced inside the driving guitar parts. This is notable on the rock-solid ‘Tease’ which makes for a kind of effective brainworm. ‘Play It Cool’ even experiments with a vocal tick that is both surprisingly tasteful and extremely brief. However, he’s also a storyteller and on songs like ‘Fade’ or the softer parts of ‘Bend & Break’ he creates a narrative and sense of character with the restrained framework. It’s an effective piece of work.
As a debut album, it establishes the band’s sound, contains catchy singles, offers varied style and paints with broad scope. Each song has different energy and swagger making it feel pleasingly varied. In fact, it ticks all the boxes, and Valentine says it best on the album’s strongest cut ‘In The Rain, By The Car’ when he ‘Can’t stop thinking about it’.
A sense of motion runs through the album and although the record’s second half features slower songs like ‘This Is The Last Song I’ll Write About You’, there’s enough power balladry about it to save it from being lacklustre. It’s also where you find ‘Like You Love To’ which gives the band chance to play something a little more expansive.
Valentine repeatedly sets the song’s subjects against time. Phrases like ‘soon’ and ‘when’ create a sense of vague motion and hint at the slow drive of change, of indecision. It’s an interesting tension, particularly when combined with the mid-tempo music. This is also evident during the shouted verses of ‘Don’t Wanna Talk About It‘ as though he isn’t quite sure of his own aggression.
It has been a curious summer, aside from the perils of cold water and moorland fires, Manchester’s mayor left to lead the country, drawing attention to the city. What better time for the band to release their debut.
‘Midnight swim’ is a slow-burning rock record with hidden depths.
IAN KENWORTHY