Today We're The Greatest. Middle Kids

From the past, 'Lost friends', to the present, today, in almost three years. It is nearly that long ago I was introduced to Middle Kids from Sydney, New South Wales. Reading up on my review from May 2018, I noticed that I liked the album, while having some mixed emotion on the whole album. So, how are we in 2021?

The first comment is the easiest, after one listening session I decided to want to write on the album. That instinct is almost infallible, exceptions noted, both ways. Again Middle Kids manages to present music on the edge of rock, synthpop and a tendency towards bombast. The mix results in what I do want to call pop.

This does start with the voice of Hannah Joy. Her voice has an innocence to it that draws the music of Middle Kids into the pop segment. Even when the noise swells and a song gets a little rougher. Hannah Joy is a quality asset of Middle Kids. It's the kind of voice I like to listen to and unfortunately for a lot of bands that is what music starts with, the perceived quality of the voice of the singer. For me she has it in abundance.

Today We're The Greatest is an album that was conceived in a special place and at a special time for the band. Hannah Joy and Tim Fitz relocated to Los Angeles to work on the album and record it there with producer Lars Stalford. Drummer Henry Day came over once the recording started. At the same time Joy and Fitz were expecting their first baby. In fact, the then Fitz-Day foetus even makes a cameo appearance on 'Run With You', making it the youngest rockstar ever?

That, albeit loving, gimmick apart, Middle Kids again presents an album that in part is nice, but not special and in part excels, making Today We're The Greatest a more than average album. Each and every song is pleasant to listen to and some are very good, with the ballad 'Lost In Los Angeles' topping the bill for me.

The title theme of that third album is easy to predict. It must be the future, right?

Wo.

You can listen to and order Today We're The Greatest here:

https://middlekids.bandcamp.com/album/today-we-re-the-greatest

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