Lewis Merriman is the twenty-six-year-old artist behind Midnight Moonshake. Not too long ago he released his self-titled release and he is now back with Reflections. He explains: “The album is about love, pain and emotions. The past couple of years have been challenging, emotionally and mentally. These life events inspired me to be creative and express my feelings through music, helping me face and overcome fears.” I would say his description is very similar to countless artists I have reviewed over the years. It’s far and away the most common reason I read about why artists make an album. They go through hard times and use the creative process as a way to gain perspective and even heal. I’ve written about this before and it always strikes me how beneficial art can be not only for the audience but the artist as well.
“Pulses” is the first track and starts with a dissonant array of synths. The transitions are sudden and reverb laced vocals blend with atmospheric blend of pads, sine waves and more. It’s very atmospheric and usually floats away til the percussive elements ground it. I thought this was a great way to open. Next up is “It’s Going Away” and this song felt a little more accessible and catchy. The vocal melodies in particular were memorable. That mood is dark but still sort of dance worthy. There are some subtle things happening as well that you might not pick up unless you’re wearing headphones. “This Feeling” is next and contains a nice blend of elements. There is push and pull between hope and chaos. They come together in harmony at times and sometimes feel dissonant in a shoe gaze type of way. One of the best grooves hands down goes to “Nightmare.” The initial sort of funky sub bass was definitely one of my favorite moments. He does some spoken word with some delay and I couldn’t make out a word but didn't care. “Worthless” initially builds a sense of tension and then transitions into new wave yet experimental type quality. Last up is “Moving On” and it has some unique production. There are arpeggiated synths, a ridiculous amount of transitions and some grooves. The song can’t sit still and finally finds a killer groove towards the end which might be the best moment on the EP. Reflections felt like a formidable follow-up and very much builds on his strength from his debut. Recommended.
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