Little Red - MidnightRemember

Mon 20th Sep, 2010 in Music Reviews

A simple funky drum beat, a slinky bass-line, a catchy piano melody, followed by the word “Alive”. That is the basis for Little Red’s party anthem Rock It, which is by far the best pop song to be released in Australia this year. The beginning of the song is nothing new, and ultimately, the formula that builds the song is not necessarily original. But the delivery most definitely is, and that is where Little Red’s originality lies. This song represents for the most part how the band’s second album Midnight Remember is produced; one of the best examples in recent times of combining old sounds with elements of those which have been so successful in recent times.

The follow-up to the band’s successful debut album of 2008, Listen To Little Red, Midnight Remember has been crafted with all the care in the world. The time taken to produce the album certainly shows throughout, with every bit of attention given to the detail of each track. Master Australian producer Scott Horscroft, who seemingly can’t be involved in a bad album if he tried, has taken the reins of this one and it is certainly in the production where the marked improvement in Little Red’s sound is evident.

Album opener Get A Life sets the standard from the get-go. The first few minutes of the track could have come straight from Cut Copy’s Bright Like Neon Love, or Empire of the Sun’s debut effort. The atmospheric-electro nature of the track slowly builds with time, until acoustic guitar and a driving bass drum combine to completely take you away. This track is the perfect introduction to the album on a whole, and follows through into the coming tracks.

Slow Motion also adapts this shimmering electro-acoustic feel and really shows off Dominic Byrne’s vocal range, which has vastly widened on Midnight Remember. Forget About Your Man is probably the first time on the album we really see the old Little Red co-existing with the new; the swoonful nature of the band’s harmonies is brought back to the fore, with the desperate lyrics of Quang Dinh combining with grandiose horns to create a soulful sing-along.

The ability to slow things down is another trick that Little Red have up their sleeves. I Can’t Wait is a classic example, as the band create swirling melodies across a deep array of atmospheric synths to really hone in this new sound they have adopted. Then there’s Lazy Boy, which takes on more of a reggae feel at the beginning and then moves into the band’s traditional rock ’n’ roll stylings, with harmonies, guitars and a soulful brass section largely carrying the track.

It is the vocal of Tom Hartney that well and truly stands out on Midnight Remember. His voice is particularly prominent on Place Called Love where the phrase “just follow me” is emphatically sung with immense swagger, as if the band were on the set of a 60s Western film. The song is destined to be a live hit with fans, as it gets faster in tempo with every chorus until it reaches a dynamic crescendo. Hartney also adds his vocal nous to Going Wrong, where the band seemingly questions their past life-choices in a very sentimental manner. Album closer Chelsworth shows the band’s more blues-induced take on rock; the song is heavy on piano and acoustic guitar, with the introduction of a wailing harmonica for good measure.

Upon hearing Chelsworth 45 minutes on from the opening of Get A Life, you really get a feel for what Little Red have tried to do with Midnight Remember. The first few tracks on the album hint at a vast new direction for the band, yet they manage to keep true to themselves and really let the album flow the way they want it to. It is great to hear a band that can progress their sound so much without leaving behind the music that got them to where they are.