The Midnight Aria are a five-piece pop-punk/emo band from Ocala, Florida. That pretty much sums it up, actually.

Okay, maybe that’s not exactly fair. These guys are pretty talented—The Deep End is full tight songs with plenty of hooks, soaring choruses, nasally vocals and above all else, lots of energy. The production is slick, the arrangements are well thought-out…

…but that’s the problem. It sounds too well thought-out. It’s pop-punk by numbers. Goodbye is an epic but sad ballad, To You is a quiet love song (“Everything is okay when I’m with you/if only I could bottle up this feeling and take it wherever I go,”) and the rest (with the exception of the instrumental A LE HO SE) are bouncy pop-punk.

The best song is probably Jumping Ship, which has a certain sing-along quality, although I swear I’ve heard that melody before. Safe to Say has some cool vocal layering that makes it worth a listen, and the before-mentioned A LE HO SE is an unexpected twist, an instrumental that sounds almost like video game music.

Love bands like New Found Glory and Allister? Then check out the Midnight Aria. But the rest of you? Don’t bother.



Label: Next In Line Records
Release: June 14th, 2005

Track Listing:

01. Testing the Waters
02. Jumping Ship
03. This Time Around
04. A LE HO SE
05. Goodbye
06. Dead to Me
07. To You
08. Safe to Say
09. My Hurricane
10. Kicking and Screaming

Rating:



Review by: Lyndie