The first incarnation of Sydney-based band The Night was a solo project called The Night Is Here which first released an EP back in 2008 with the aid of some guest musicians. Well, it looks as though some of those guests and maybe one or two other musicians hung around until, in 2011, the numbers had grown and the band name had shrunk. Now operating as a sextet the clan have released a new three track EP independently, and although the name is unlikely to get any shorter and the number of members likely to remain the same, you wouldn't bet against their fanbase skyrocketing if they keep up this kind of form. Plenty of groups have more musicians than the conventional four-piece rock/pop band, but listening to some of them you wonder what they're all doing. Not with The Night. This is a trio of big songs with plenty of instrumentation, none of it superfluous to requirement and we're not talking bloated stadium pomp either.
We're eased into opening track 'Like This' by its gentle chimes, then it adds, little by little, more and more sounds to the point where the twinkles and sparkles, like a coiled spring, finally burst into a majestic crescendo. It's a full-on wall of sound like Phil Spector and Arcade Fire teaming up to create a modern day lullaby. The Night are no one-track wonders either, in fact this isn't even the EP's best song. Piano ushers in next tune, 'Put Me Out', marking them out as cousins to fellow Aussies Buchanan. The piano is the Christmas tree and then the decorations are added. To push that odd metaphor a little further; you know how some trees just look garish and horrible but some look glistening and magical? This is the latter. I guess that makes the finale of 'Medicate Me' a splendid firework display. Again starting with simple picked guitar and forlorn brass, it soon blossoms with strings and bass and pained vocals and a thumping beat and horns and electric guitar and bundles of passion for a final minute of madness. Stirring stuff indeed.
The Night's website
Buy the EP
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