Horror Show - EP

Love this album!

I absolutely love this album. Neon Medusa is the immediate standout, but the more I listen, the more I find I like the other tracks just as much. Ghost in Your Stereo may have the best lyrics they’ve written to date. Poetic and absurdly atmospheric. Neon Medusa is also very well written in terms of lyrics, if not quite as good as Ghost (IMO) and the guitar solo is epic. Arrangement reminds me a little of EVH. I’ve definitely listened to it on repeat more than its fair share. Devil Make a Deal is somehow the weakest full length song on the album, which is insane, since it’s really good in its own right. Again, well written lyrics and a very catchy melody. Good in Red is catchy to a fault (I’ve woken up in the morning with it stuck in my head more than a couple times). Not as lyrically stunning as Ghost or Medusa, but infectious and thoroughly car-karaoke worthy. Last is Because the Night, which is a cover of an old Patti Smith Group song. This one drips 80s pop nostalgia and harkens back to the sun-drenched vibes of Endless Summer. A really strong way to close out the album. Always cool to see a cover from a band that doesn’t have many in their catalogue! It also has the only real saxophone presence on the album. Overall this is an absurdly strong set of tracks. Fans of the sax may be a little disappointed, but I think it’s some of their best work ever, and certainly the strongest whole album (or EP, as the case may be) since Endless Summer!

It would seem that The Midnight have listened to some of the fans’ criticisms of Monsters and are attempting to right the ship. Gone are the jarring tempo change-ups, the overuse of robotic or hulk/mutant voice mods, the hip hop beats, and the vacuous filler sections. Back are the clean vocals, 80's aesthetic, and classic album/song structures... for the most part. “The Stranger” sets “Horror's” stage with a dark and troubling atmosphere. Think Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” meets John Carpenter. It's short and to the point, but overall, a serviceable intro. “Ghost in Your Stereo” continues the EP’s concept. Fans will notice rhythmic similarities with The Midnight’s “Nocturnal”. A high octave on the vocals was an interesting choice, but I’m not sure it does the song any favors, considering this EP’s intended theme. Overall, this track is a solid entry. In “Neon Medusa”, the intro immediately evokes the bridge from “Thriller” and it works well throughout the song. It has all the structure of a good song, but proper choruses are strangely absent. We’re given an intro, a verse, a pre-chorus, and then instrumentals followed by another verse, pre-chorus, instrumentals, bridge (which is fantastic, btw), and outro. Due to the missing choruses, it feels like we’re given this buildup only to have it fizzle out with no satisfying payoff. Choruses would have really rounded this track out nicely. “Devil Make a Deal” is very much like “Neon Medusa” in its structure; again absent of choruses. However, its insipid lyrics backed by a feeble rhythm and dull instrumentals makes this a significantly inferior song. It is clearly the weakest track of the EP. “Good in Red” is easily where this EP shines brightest. A perfect The Midnight perfect song with exciting, controversial lyrics, a proper structure (yes, with choruses!), backed by an inspired rhythm and colorful instrumentals. Need I say more? “Because the Night” is a competent cover of Patti Smith’s and Bruce Springsteen’s original. This rendition is done as a duet with Nikki Flores, who is always a welcome collaborator. However, it’s a bit out of place on a concept EP such as this. Any “horror” elements are nonexistent in this song. You could say it’s more of a bonus track. “Neon Medusa - Edit” is a radio edit. Nothing more. All in all, “Horror” has been a fun EP to explore and revisit. It's a bit unfortunate that the lack of fully realized songs holds it back from standing in the spotlight with other notable The Midnight releases. Thankfully, it’s a night-and-day difference from their previous work on “Monsters”. *shudders*

Just amazing!! The 80s goodness is back

A great new collection - powerful and creative! Love it, thank you Tyler and Tim for more beautifully produced music that somehow looks forward while putting you smack in the past. Can’t wait to see you in concert again...

The Midnight never fails an Extended Play (EP) or an Album. I was never born on the 80’s or 90’s but it’s nice to see a group like the Midnight to do music like this. Now I listen to them almost every night and make some anime 90’s edits with The Midnight song’s.

This EP is packed with The Midnight on its game!!! Neon Medusa and Ghost in the Stereo are some of my all-time favorites! This is album is worth every penny!!!

One song in an EP is already better than previous album, apart from Lost Boy, which was released almost a year prior. I love the Daft Punk vibe I get with the synths. It’s a perfect blend. Guitar channels inner Steve Vai like a boss. Still here, guys.