Imagine the vocals of Less Than Jake crossed with Millencolin, with a sprinkling of MxPx guitars thrown in for good measure. The bastard offspring that this creation would spawn, are Midtown.
This American four-piece feature three vocalists, and it is this which gives them a unique sound as well as some cool harmonies. Lyrically, the subject matter is pretty well-worn, but songsmith Gabe Saporta is clever enough not to drag the same old boring cliches into his tunes.
Midtown possess some great songs. Opener ‘Just Rock And Roll,’ as featured on the Punxploitation video, and its catchy “i wish I could hate you for the rest of my life” refrain, burrow into the brain and refuse to shift. It’s a trait that follows throughout the album, as Midtown use effective riffs and catchy choruses that will have you singing along without even realising. However, Midtown‘s sound is reasonably formulaic, ‘Knew It All Along’ is early MxPx, and ‘Another Boy’ is surely a missing Millencolin tune. Thankfully they don’t borrow too heavily from their peers.
Telling the world about being a pissed-off youth is not new, but Midtown do it as well as the next band. They manage to keep the listener’s attention, and each song does sound that little bit different, thanks to their multi-vocalist attack.
If you like Millencolin and Mxpx, then you’ll be hard pressed to find a band that will float your boat as much as Midtown.
Paul Savage