Search - Residents :: Voice of Midnight

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SirTheory | 12/03/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The Residents have been experiencing a creative resurgence the past few years. While their career has been quite steady in its streaky nature (a decade of amazing releases, a decade of trash, a half a decade of pretty good, a half a decade of trash, etc) it has been on an upward swing for several years. Animal Lover from 2005 and Tweedles from 2006 are both really good albums that showcase what a group can do 35 years into their career.



The Voice of Midnight immediately made me both excited and worried. While the prospect of new Residents material is always good, the fact that only about a year (as opposed to the year and a half separating the aforementioned Animal Lover and Tweedles) had passed since the last album made me wonder if The Voice of Midnight could be as well developed or original as the last few albums had been.



It is a valid concern, as nothing on the album is really compelling or any kind of surprise. It simply retreads what they've been doing the last two to three years. Like The River of Crime, there is a strong focus on narration instead of singing. Unlike Crime, however, The Voice of Midnight feels more like a stage production than a radio program. Tweedles had some narrative elements, but they were mixed with interesting music. The Voice of Midnight lacks that aspect.



The narrative comes off like a monologue. While there is often implied discussions, the listener can't hear the other voices... just our main character's responses. Perhaps they wouldn't totally suck if capably written, but the main character comes off as really annoying and juvenile. Even if the juvenile aspects were intentional, that doesn't make them any more bearable.



While I am about as big of a Residents fan as they come, the only real reason this album is still in my collection is because otherwise my collection would be incomplete. I definitely don't recommended for newbies to the world of The Residents."

Nah, fereall, iss goode.

Example: Mark Twain | optional | 12/30/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think The Residents have been & are continuing to do some of their finest work these days. This album probably doesn't quite equal "Animal Lover" for me (still my favorite thing of theirs I've heard from the past 15-20 yrs), but the music covers some very nice, trippy, ambient terrain, & does it well; the vocals & narrative I find to be a pleasant, sinister accompaniment. Makes for a gripping little yarn all in all."