Album Review: Midnight Boom

Released seven years ago, the Kills’ third album Midnight Boom is an electric, gritty staple of modern indie rock. The album contains a total of thirteen tracks (this is including the bonus track “Night Train”) with all instrumentation performed by Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince. Coming off the moderate success of their previous album No Wow (released in 2005), the Kills’ Midnight Boom showcases bursts of simple, occasionally flashy power in the form of a two-piece band that sounds like a mix of the White Stripes and an upbeat Patti Smith.

The album starts off with a slow but relatively heavy “U.R.A. Fever” and works its way into the more pop-ish “Cheap and Cheerful,” the latter of which retains a visceral mixture of punk and indie styles. The third song, “Tape Song” is perhaps the pinnacle of Midnight Boom. Structurally, the song is as simple as can be. But like proper rockers, Mosshart and Hince grab your attention with powerful guitar hooks and increasingly passionate singing. After “Tape Song” the album sort of coasts through the fourth and fifth tracks (“Last Day of Magic” and “Hook and Line”) – neither of which lack in energy but are not as exciting as other tracks on the album. Then you’re hit with “Black Balloon,” which like “Tape Song” is absurdly simple in its structure but is redeemed by both the somber singing and keen instrumentation. The next four tracks are like “Last Day of Magic” and “Hook and Line,” they’re not completely bad but you don’t really get much out of any of them. Finally the album concludes with “Goodnight Bad Morning” and “Night Train.” A tasteful and natural ending to any quality album, “Goodnight Bad Morning” is modest in its tone but mystically powerful in the way that not many bands can achieve. “Night Train” is a decent bonus track, the only pervading flaw is that the lyrics become terribly dry before the first chorus is even done.

All in all, Midnight Boom is a solid album. It holds many pleasant surprises and catchy riffs and lyrics which wholly make up for the more mediocre portions of the album. It is unfortunate to see the Kills’ succumb to the occasional mediocrity and simplicity of less talented groups, as they show infinitely more promise than most of their contemporaries. So if you’re looking for a new band to sample, Midnight Boom would be a good starting point for the Kills’. If you just browsing and not looking for anything in  particular, then Midnight Boom can satisfy your needs as well.