Music should always push the boundaries of the genre it belongs to. Why sit in the safe middle ground surrounded by tried and tested and traditional ideas when you can make music that is instead keen to stretch the possibilities and look for new potential? I mention this because Midnite Radio certainly is a band that does, but the neat thing is that they don’t do it to the point of losing the listener. Auntie is an exercise in adventure and artistry, fresh ideas dancing with familiar sounds.
As “Reboot the Drought” opens things up, we find ourselves in a rock environment, for sure, but one that plays with indie grooves and almost progressive moves, evoking bands like “Radiohead” or “Muse.” And that is a neat place to find yourself.
And if “Backwards” shows that they are not averse to a bit of pop-adjacent, lighter-sounding treatments, “Quench” runs on an old-school rock-and-roll rhythm, albeit one shot through with seductive sound motifs and liquid sonics.
Saving the strangest and most experimental till last, this EP rounds off with “Paradise,” a song woven of slightly fractured structures and counter melodies, making for a slightly off-kilter but eminently rewarding experience, at least for those with a broader mind and discerning tastes.
Auntie is an album for rock fans who are tired of the same old, rehashed foot-on-the-monitor sounds. An album for indie kids (of all ages) who are tired of the cooler-than-thou attitude and style over substance output. Music for pop pickers who know that there is more to be had than what their preferred genre has to offer. It is an album for those who have had enough of the past and wish to look to the future. and who isn’t keen to hear what the future has to offer?
