The Midnight Rambler - 'Tales From The Nightshift'

                                   
Reading-based band The Midnight Rambler, fronted by lead vocalist and guitarist Mike Lemin, offer up an eclectic mix of heavy blues and alternative rock on debut release Tales From The Nightshift. Though the album is wholly consistent in its delivery of infectious melodies and inspired lyrics, standout tracks come by way of the punchy, riff-driven ‘Shockwave', while ‘Nightswimming’ has all the key elements that contribute to a memorable album opener, with furiously fast-paced hooks and dynamic vocals that soar over an addictive chorus.

On the equally noteworthy 'Parallel', lyrics like “Somewhere / There’s another version of me / Living / The life I was meant to lead” are structured perfectly in a pre-chorus that fully succeeds in transforming the delicate, ballad-like simplicity of the keys-led verse, into a mid-tempo chorus that is complemented by a satisfyingly richer instrumentation. The song’s fine production and arrangement techniques, however, are qualities that are evident throughout the record. While the tracks mentioned here offer a strong overall representation of The Midnight Rambler’s impressively varied genre mix, the album in its entirety is a solid listen.






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