Monday, December 23, 2024

The Midnight Confessions - Introducing​.​.​.​The Midnight Confessions


Brooklyn's ​The Midnight Confessions have gifted us with one of those really excellent late-in-the-year album releases that sometimes people sleep on because they've got other things on their mind. As I started looking deeper into this band, I noticed familiar names from a couple of bands I really liked back in the 2010s: Party Lights and The Recordettes. So it's hardly a surprise that I would be into The Midnight Confessions. This band takes the best elements of the past 70 years of rock 'n' roll and creates something that still sounds vital and current as we sit on the doorstep of 2025. I can hear the influence of everything from early rock 'n' roll to '60s girl groups to power pop to glam rock to country to garage rock. Since the name of the album is Introducing...The Midnight Confessions, let's introduce The Midnight Confessions! They are Anna Blumenthal (guitar, vocals), Margot Bianca (keys), Sacha Chernoff (bass), Carl Porcaro (guitar), and Ryan Gordon (drums). They're into sequin, leather, harmonies, and big gooey hooks. Introducing​.​.​.​The Midnight Confessions leads off with the two pre-album singles: "When You Were Mine" and "Break My Bones." They're both great, of course, but there's plenty left in the tank after the auspicious start. "In My Dreams" is an elegant, heartfelt ballad. "Missteps and Misfires" is a quality rocker that will get the power pop lovers' juices flowing. The cool country rocker "You're Not the Man for Me (But I Don't Mind)" is a major highlight. "You Know What To Do" pours on the girl group magic. "The Same Old Way" is the grand, dramatic closer that every great rock album ought to have. You can feel the soul of New York in these songs, with hints of everyone from The Shangri-Las to The New York Dolls to Blondie. The songwriting is top-notch all the way through, and somehow this band combines arena-sized majesty with indie band intimacy. Don't miss this one!

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