This is The Choir’s 12th studio release in their prolific career that started way back in 1985, back when they were known as Youth Choir. Burning Like The Midnight Sun is quickly becoming one of my favorite Choir records, and with as many stellar releases as they have, that is quite a feat. I first started listening to these guys back in 1987 at the tender age of 13 years old. The Choir was a band that I have faithfully followed and always admired because there is an honest transparency in the music as well as the lyrics. This band has maintained the integrity of creating music that is unique and artistic, while staying true to themselves and not following the trends of the day.
This new disc is full of ambient guitars, steady bass lines, vibrant drumming and the well placed sax notes that provide warmth that is full, flavored and dense with texture and layers. There are so many standout moments on this album, from Dan Michael’s peppered sax notes on the opening track “Midnight Sun”, to the eclectic sounds of ‘A Friend So Kind”, the warm fuzziness of the guitars that set in and settle the tones, turning them into a velvet breeze that falls over the notes of “Legend Of Old Man Byrd”, down to the punctuated guitar that emphasizes Derri’s voice on “I’m Sorry I Laughed”, the sparseness of the chiming cymbals at the opening of “Invisible” that winds into the piano keys that begin the wistful last track “Say Goodbye To Neverland”. It’s all in there from beginning to end, and every track in between. Other tracks not already mentioned are “That Melancholy Ghost”, “Mr. Chandler”, “Between Bare Trees”, “The Word Inside The Word” and “It should Have Been Obvious”.
This disc is solid throughout. Derri’s voice is still spot on, full of emotion and what I would describe as a gentle fragility. Steve Hindalong’s lyrics are (in my opinion) some of his best. Hindalong is probably my favorite lyricist in music, definitely in my top 5 of all time. He has the unique ability to convey and relate life and all that it entails, from the mundane things that we all encounter, to the truths that define who we are, all are here in his unique delivery and perception. If you hang around on the message boards you will see that the lyrics have created controversy with some, for others it has refined and allowed some to reimagine with greater love the truths we hold dear. This is a must have for any Choir fan, and a great introduction to anyone who might be new.
[2010 Independent | Purchase: TheChoir.net]
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