Artist: A Midday Atlantic
Album: The Difference EP
Label: N/A
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Reviewer: Scott L
Tracklist:
1. Who You Are Now
2. Nothing Burns
3. Lost Time and a Blindly Given Birthright
4. The City
5. The Resting Potential
Wow. Gone so young. This is my first, posthumous CD review. But what do you do when you get a CD and a note that the band broke up? Well, if it’s a decent CD, you review it anyway. So here goes.
You could arguably call San Diego’s Midday Atlantic emo. But emo to me has always been more Mineral and less Fall Out Boy. But call it what you will, A Midday Atlantic’s The Difference EP, is a five-song release that’s a worthwhile investment for fans of early Further Seems Forever. We’re talking early, as in The Moon Is Down. And, yes, that means that the vocals on this EP have a certain Chris Carabba croon to them. This EP should also appeal to fans of Just Surrender, and Transistor Radio, and if I was really gonna stretch it… I might also add Yearling just for good measure.
I enjoyed this CD. Nothing stood out as particularly original or creative, but then again , nothing stood out as glaringly wrong or deficient either. These guys certainly don’t lack talent or passion. However, this is just one of those releases that you almost want to withhold judgment on until you can hear more. But obviously, that’s not gonna happen. You can see great potential shining through but somehow it just feels a bit restrained. Maybe a low budget, maybe a time crunch to get things done, maybe just my imagination, but I think these guys have what it takes to put out a really impressive CD. You can see it in The Difference EP, which is a good stand alone release, but you can just tell that this band has more to give.
Full marks for a cool cover in what looks to be a tattered and worn Bible. If only all of our Bibles were so well read… but that’s a whole another discussion.
Standout track was “Who You Are Now.” Maybe because the intro reminded me so much of Saosin… but more likely just because it’s a pretty cool song.
At any rate, if you’re into some nicely done emo-ish indie rock, do yourself a favor and give this EP a listen. But, as I said, don’t expect much more out of these guys, at least not as A Midday Atlantic, because as of September 2008, they are no more.
www.myspace.com/amiddayatlantic
