Minute Before Midnight – Moonlight Rhythm Society (reviewed by Dave Franklin)

The phrase groovesome and graceful might be a handy, alliterative way of describing this latest one from Moonlight Rhythm Society, but it is a good handle for the music they make in general. That isn’t to say that there isn’t plenty of variation to be found between  their songs; there is, lots of it. However, as a general sting or soundbite for their ballpark sound, that is about as good as it gets.

Soulful, groove-driven and infectiously dance-infused… there’s another quotable quality quip for you. Minute Before Midnight runs along on lush guitar licks, effervescent bass, and bouyant backbeats. Still, it is those little touches, the concisely arranged brass that breezes through, the keyboards which seem to shimmer succinctly, that are the icing on the cake: those more-that-the-sum-of-their-parts inclusions, those tasteful touches, those smart sonic moves.

And, as is often the case with great music, and always with Moonlight Rhythm Society, there is a deft construction process at work, a spaciousness that belies just how many different tones and textures they manage to fit into this one song. Space might be the final frontier, but its use when it comes to the composition and arrangement of songs is something that Moonlight Rhythm Society conquered a long time ago. This is the sound of them boldly going where few have gone before. And in doing so, they can find room for myriad instruments and still manage to let the light shine through between them.

Many artists think they must invent new genres through strange fusions and sonic machinations to stay relevant in the fast-moving music world of the 21st century. That is not the case. The intelligent artist knows that most of the heavy lifting has already been done by numerous icons from the past, and all they now have to do is take the sounds already in the public consciousness and gently polish, energise and reinvigorate them for the modern audience.

You could argue that there is nothing new in the sound that Moonlight Rhythm Society makes, but that would be to miss the point. That would be to examine the musical building blocks rather than to admire the sonic architecture that they construct. Soul, blues, and R’n’B are all broad and iconic sounds and they are all genres that are comfortable with what they are, and all of those, plus a dash of pop panache and funky groove, are found at the heart of this band’s music.