Monsters (Splatter Vinyl)

The second full-length album from the Midnight, 2020's Monsters, finds the electronic duo of singer/instrumentalist Tyler Lyle and instrumentalist/producer Tim McEwan continuing to develop their DayGlo '80s pop aesthetic. It's a sound that brings to mind the cool synth pop of Giorgio Moroder while sitting nicely alongside the work of contemporary acts like M83, Daft Punk, and St. Lucia. While clubby electronic traditions are at the core of the duo's sound, rather than offering hyperkinetic dance tracks, the Midnight take a more measured approach, crafting hypnotic anthems pitched at the speed of neon-tinted paint dripping down a flat white canvas. Cuts like "Dance with Somebody," "Seventeen," and "Prom Night" arrive with just as much synthy, pastel longing as their '80s teen romance titles imply. Equally evocative are tracks like "Deep Blue" and "Night Skies," their shimmering, analog keyboards and pulsing, slow-burn grooves conjuring John Carpenter's horror movie soundtracks. Similarly, we also get several instrumental tracks, including "The Search for Ecco" and the wryly named "America Online," that recall the classic '80s film soundtrack work of Tangerine Dream. Also moving are "Brooklyn" and the album-ending "Last Train," yearning, midtempo songs that wouldn't sound out of place on a classic Mr. Mister or Bruce Hornsby album. Part of what makes the Midnight's brand of synth-wave so compelling is their choice to mix organic instruments like guitars and percussion alongside fuzzy analog keyboards and more computerized digital sounds. They also take the time to write emotive lyrics, not to mention memorable hooks that lend an intimate, heartfelt gravitas to even their most buoyant pop moments. Although Monsters certainly benefits from its shiny, '80s-inspired surface, the Midnight have made an album that glows with a deeper warmth.

- Matt Collar (AllMusic)