Photo Courtesy of Republic Records
HOPE SMITH
campus editor
hope.smith393@my.tccd.edu
The peak hour of the night has been bottled into a little album, shaken up and tastefully served in a cocktail called “Midnights” by Taylor Swift.
There is something to be said about an artist coming out with an album of songs written during sleepless nights. Vulnerability, honesty and authenticity comes to mind when listening to the album. Swift’s brand seems to be about keeping it real. “Midnights” explores “real”’ in terms of all the things time does not allow during the day. At night, you can’t help but think about it.
The album is organized, and the pace makes it digestible, which it seems Swift wants because it’s 13 tracks for 13 nights of her life that she spent awake. It’s nothing revolutionary that she hasn’t made, reminding me a little of her album “Evermore.”
For an album like this, a slow pace and stormy emotion was an expected mood. While not so stormy, Swift’s pacing was right on the ball throughout the album. There is nothing worse than inconsistent, rocky mountain tracklists. “Midnights” had a theme, and by God did the theme remain true. Take “Midnight Rain,” or “Question…?” for example, with imagery of the night and the moon, all attributes to the fated hour midnight.
Something does need to be said about the almost oddball outlier song that is “Vigilante Shit.”
Good grief.
While saying the song is just bad in general would be wrong, it’s wrong to lie. The song’s likeness was that of turning on a sink faucet and sticking your hand right under, not realizing it was already set to the hottest temperature.
The theme of the song just didn’t fit with the rest of the album, it was so much more of a “Reputation” album song. A million more shocking comparisons could be made about it, but leaving it at that is the honorable thing.
Growing up means choosing to take album for the good, bad and the ugly.
“Bejeweled” following immediately after the trainwreck really made up for it. “You’re On Your Own, Kid” also significantly brought the album’s value up, something about “I didn’t choose this town, I dream of getting out, there’s just one who could make me stay all my days,” as a lyric is so potently sad. With those songs included, the vigilante song wasn’t so much of a problem. Though a discordant song, it was pleasant having the rest of the tracklist support the album.
The content itself was full of Swift’s own doubts, love and remorse. It is an album you need to sit and really listen to. If you listen, the songs have small notes of flavor, like hints of cinnamon or orange. The chorus of “Sweet Nothing” is one of the best, and how couldn’t it be with lyrics like, “They said the end is coming, everyone’s up to something, I find myself running home to your sweet nothings.”
Midnights’ bottle is nice to sip from and enjoy. A weird aftertaste, definitely, but the content and smooth sound make for an easy ride through. Like walking down memory lane, or driving along those certain roads with purple lamp lights, this album is beautifully wistful.
