{"id":75729,"date":"2019-01-31T21:07:21","date_gmt":"2019-01-31T21:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/?p=75729"},"modified":"2023-04-07T14:25:34","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T13:25:34","slug":"review-set-it-off-midnight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/review-set-it-off-midnight\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Set It Off – Midnight"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"While the issue of rock bands “going pop” is seemingly a current trend, Set It Off<\/b> have confidently embraced pop tropes for quite some time and this fourth full-length is no different. ‘Midnight’<\/em> is unashamedly pop to the point you have to question how or why Set It Off<\/strong> were ever considered a rock band? While the band’s early releases played off pop-rock traits, the same can’t be said for ‘Midnight’<\/em>.<\/p>\n

At 15 songs deep, it’s a testing set of overly-produced songs that distract from the serious lyrical nature on show. For example, ‘Lonely Dance’<\/em> sees Cody Carson sing of social anxiety but is spoiled by the use of latino brass. Likewise, ‘Happy All The Time’<\/em> offers some personal rejoice as Carson realises it’s ok to be sad yet it’s juxtapositioned by celebratory horns and a gospel choir.<\/p>\n

To Set It Off<\/strong>‘s credit, songs such as ‘For You Forever’<\/em> and ‘Midnight Thoughts’<\/em> come off as admirable, groove-tinged pop songs with annoyingly catchy hooks. Whereas ‘I Want You (Gone)’<\/em> sweetly plays of a summery, 80’s beach pop vibe. Yet as an album, it’s front-loaded by ‘Hourglass’<\/em> and ‘Killer In The Mirror’<\/em> that, on the surface, could be performed by any boyband, past or present. Later on, ‘Raise No Fool’<\/em> and ‘Stitch Me Up’<\/em> don’t fare any better.<\/p>\n