Painting The Roses. Midnight Sister

Painting The Roses is an album that shoots off in a few directions. Duo Midnight Sister is not afraid to throw in some old-fashioned sounding strings, do a Zappa-light or mix pop with some avant garde, disco-tinged arrangements. In short Painting The Roses amazes and surprises.

That does not necessarily equal a good album of course. It is an album that challenges me as a listener. The result is I'm bouncing up and down in different directions. On one side Painting The Roses does not contain a single song that I would call a personal favourite, as in ever, on the other there's not a single song that I do not want to hear ever again. A few days ago I received a copy of Belgian duo Lili Grace's 'Silhouette'. Also two ladies, in that case sisters, presenting even much further out experiments, while fishing in the same pond as Midnight Sister part of the time. And then there's Ohmme, another female duo somewhere in this street. 2020-21 is a time for experimental, female duos.

Painting The Roses starts with the song that featured in one of the single round ups late last year. 'Doctor Says' is a good song to start the album with. At this point I rate it as the most poppy song and easiest to access. Yes, it has some mood changes, the singing is slightly weird, but the clear piano shows the way in this fairly happy sounding song. It is the right song to find your way into the album with. Several elements contained in 'Doctor Says' return, only much more extreme.

Juliana Giraffe and Ari Balouzian released their first album in 2017, called 'Saturn Over Sunset'. Early in 2021 it is time to follow that album up. Giraffe is the pop and David Bowie fan, Balouzian was an arranger foremost when they met. They both brought their strengths to Painting The Roses. Most songs are richly arranged and as I already wrote full of surprises. In all corners of the compositions something extra can happen. Don't be surprised when a disco rhythm and singing, comes across like Zappa's 'Dancing Fool', in moderation that is. This is the kind of album that may still surprise the listener in 100 listening session from now. Although I am not convinced 100% yet, I would not be surprised if I would get a close relationship with Painting The Roses. It is fully deserving my attention at this point alright. 'Sirens' may be discoing away, the odd twists working themselves in and out of the song keep me on my feet and toes.

Don't be surprised when you get into a 40s and 50s sequence, Frank, Dean and Doris of course never would have found themselves in, as if there's a lush orchestra behind the duo in the same studio recording in mono in one take. A minute later you can find yourself with the David Bowie of 'Young Americans', with a wild saxophone solo going on to top things off. Midnight Sister simply does not let itself be caught in one compartment, nor two or three, only to drop it all, leaving a sole organ to keep the song going. The deep vocal delivery may need some getting used to, musically the duo never stops amazing. Up to a point that I truly would not know in what compartment to put this album. It is in a universe of its own.

Painting The Roses may not contain one of my most personal favourite individual songs ever, I am certainly curious where this album and I may go in the coming weeks, months and years. This is something special alright and with a thin pencil I'm very careful jotting it down for my end of year list, 11 and a half months from now.

Wo.

You can listen to and order Painting The Roses here:

https://midnightsister.bandcamp.com/

 

or listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g