Big Ship, Lots of Trouble

by Christina Short (Editor), John Wilker

Overview

{|Midnights|} isn't a retreat so much as a return, a revival of the moody electro-pop that kept {|Reputation|} roiling. Where that 2017 record carried a measure of defiance, the vibe of {|Midnights|} is contemplative even when beats are insistent, as they are on occasion. Despite these fleeting moments of urgency, the record is clearly a soundtrack to be played in the wee hours of the morning. In that sense, {|Midnights|} is a kindred spirit to {|Folklore|} and {|Evermore|}, the twin 2020 albums {|Swift|} released during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, yet those records felt like collections of short stories where these songs -- whether in their standard 13-song variation or the lengthy "3 AM Edition" which runs an additional seven tracks -- all feel like confessions, even if they display the sense of exacting lyrical detail she's honed since {|Lover|}. These compositions provide a sturdy foundation on a record that wants to capture the aimless suspension of late-night insomnia, a time filled with regret, recriminations, and resignations. {|Swift|} spikes this moodiness with hints of steeliness -- witness the cool swagger of "Vigilante Shit" -- but that's merely an accent on an album designed to deliver variations on one specific mood. Although this monochromatic palette tends to highlight the limits of co-producer {|Jack Antonoff|}'s bag of tricks -- nothing here feels surprising, even when he's playing with textures and teasing out the music's dream pop elements -- the narrow focus is the main attribute of {|Midnights|}, as it plays to {|Swift|}'s sense of control and craft: she may be singing about messy emotions but she sculpts those tangled feelings into shimmering, resonant songs. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940162543350
Publisher:	Rogue Publishing
Publication date:	09/08/2021
Series:	Space Rogues Series , #9
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	108,668
File size:	526 KB