Bright Midnight - American Prayer

Hear The Track Here

Over the six or so tracks I have reviewed from Bright Midnight, I have come to like this singer/musician/producer/whatEVAH and have been fairly complimentary on the style, if not the actual content. So much so that I think Bright Midnight is an outfit just hovering on that Must Have that I know is lurking in there somewhere. Liberation (January 2010) came within a whisker of it but, sadly, American Prayer isn't going to do it either. Oh well, next time maybe. Having said that, Bright Midnight have some VERY vocal fans out there and no doubt this will go down the usual storm with them, but speaking as a reviewer I can't say with any honesty that I am sold on it. What it all comes down to, I guess, is personal preference and - for my money - American Prayer isn't as strong or immediate as some previous tracks from this outfit.

When I first came across Bright Midnight, I pondered a while on the Post Punk listing but I have to say, here is a track where such a genre listing is actually true. There is more than a tinge of safety pins and spit about American Prayer although in a more Factory sounding way than, say the Sex Pistols. Not much in the way of feral snarls to Bright Midnight, at least not so far although this review may prompt a few. This may sound like I don't like the track, I do but I do think I've heard better songs from this musician. Certainly as far as yer average listener is concerned - provided they like their Alternative with a healthy dose of lo-fi - this is as good as anything in its genre and much better than some.

Hills Emanuelson (leading light of Bright Midnight) says that American Prayer was 'one of my first songs' and that this is the ' first recording that did it justice' and I understand why. Certainly its a tricksy beast in terms of arrangement, wandering from musing to rocking out in a vague manner and why, o why, does the bass suddenly drop out completely during the first - and all important - chorus? Enquiring minds want to know. I noticed this was doing well in the Alternative charts, so whatever I think or say is going to make any difference and I'm the hunt for that Must Have from Bright Midnight and I refuse to be swayed. I'm sure that most of you will just put all this down to the onset of senility and go and groove to the track anyway - and so you should. Just leave me my pipe and slippers. (Ed: you don't have a pipe. Or slippers either for that matter)

Recommended Alternative rock.