Midnight Orchestra - A Clearing
by Maarten Schiethart
published: 1 / 10 / 2006
Label:
Midnight Orchestra
Format: CD
intro
Unpretentious lo-fi triphop on first album from Befordshire-baed two piece the Midnight Orchestra
Usually it's the self-released albums that get priority with me but due to a postal hick-up Bedfordshire's the Midnight Orchestra's first album only now gets the attention it deserves. The duo of Tom Hubmann and Jack Sharp, no not an orchestra at all, debut with a loungy mish-mash of "ballads" and downbeat electronica. Edgy and sharp, 'A Clearing' is on the black and white nouvelle vague movie side of sounding "cinemascopic". This little outfit does offer an odd mixture which also includes immaculate harmony singing. Here's an 'indie' album that has no off-kilter expertise in sounding wacky to the core, yet instead is a smooth blend of matching bits from various styles. Midnight Orchestra bring on the brass section in 'The Searcher' just when you thought you were being lulled asleep by the first seven tracks. And as the brass section - probably a sample - is withdrawn again, the Midnight Orchestra sink you back into their warm bath of lush and lazy mysteria. 'A Clearing' is an even, modest and unpretentious showcase of lo-fi triphop from a village in England. Albeit not shockingly original.
Track Listing:-
1 Intro2 Burried
3 Cold Out
4 Grey Matter
5 Dawn's Child
6 Our Passage Home
7 The Searcher
8 When They Come
9 Outro
10 Bonus Track - Whispering Hollow
interviews |
Interview (2007) |
Californian reggae act the Aggrolites have recently finished playing a stadium tour of Britain playing support to Madness. Daniel Cressey chats to the group at a headline date at the London Underworld about the uniqueness of being a reggae band in America |
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart