Midnight Movies - Midnight Movies

If the Pacific Ocean doesn’t swallow up California first, it’s quite possible that really good psychedelia-drenched rock will. Nominated for the L.A. Weekly Music awards the last two years in a row, Midnight Movies might be the brightest thing to come out of California since the rolling blackouts. Midnight Movies have conjured up a debut album that is both dark and moody but also radiant and twee. They definitely are a band that has done their homework. "Love or a Lesson" brings the Jesus and Mary Chain to mind; "Blue Babies" brings The Velvet Underground; and "Strange Design" brings Stereolab, but none is in any danger of copywrite infringement. They give a nod to the past while incorporating their own brand of modern rock. It’s grimey yet precise, gentle yet abrasive. So, plainly put, they’re an enigma wrapped in a paradox. However, Midnight Movies is an art rock band through and through, and with that comes some baggage: Nonsensical lyrics and the album artwork from some artistic period that I’ll never know the first thing about. This is something that, if developed correctly, can add an element of intrigue to the band. But it’s still a little early to tell if it will make them more pretentious or more interesting. The album also starts to drag towards the end. The last three songs feel a little forced and recycled, which either means they either ran out of ideas or the ones they had are getting a little worn. Whatever the case may be, Midnight Movies is both an impressive debut album and a band to continue watching. [www.midnightmovies.net]