Review:
The always excellent Five Easy Pieces continue to avoid pigeonholing with the release of Midnight Davis' debut release, Aftershocks. Hailing from London, Davis shrouds his lo-fi productions in clouds of dub, creating an effect that is not unlike a combination of Ariel Pink's tessellated psychedelia and Kind Midas Sound's enveloping bass soundscapes. However, it's an EP of other disparate styles - post-punk influences are displayed in the spindly guitar work at the dark heart of "Timely" and "Nothing Is Obvious", whilst "Medicine" meanwhile utilizes cracked industrial sonics over the top of screaming, pitched down trance synths that try to instill a sense of euphoria despite the lurching rhythms. But it's the vocal work that holds it all together, offering a fragile heart in amongst the intricately woven sonic backdrops. It would be easy to compare Midnight Davis to the gothic R&B stylings of How To Dress Well, and his Tri Angle associates, but he's got a sound that is very much his own. Highly recommended.