Release
date: July 28th
2017. Label: Napalm Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Cypress
Ave. – Tracklisting
1. Tonight
2. Red Eye Junkie
Queen
3. Glenn's Promise
4. Bury Me Deep
5. The Watchers Nest
6. Break My Love
7. Lemon Trees
8. The Boogie Down
9. Black Wave
10. The Echo
11. I Can't Let You
Go(Bonus)
Band
Members
Steve Moss - vocals,
guitar
Brandon Burghart -
drums
Mike Boyne - bass
guitar
Review
The Midnight Ghost Train is one of
those rare bands who are raw and unpolished, yet there's so much
structure within their music. That gives a lot of freedom. With each
release they've become more sophisticated but has retained that
rawness and directness they are so great at. And then there was
'Cypress Ave.'
Everything The Midnight Ghost Train
has built up through the years has aligned perfectly on the new album
and the outcome is breathtaking. Throughout many of the songs there
is the rhythm, groove and beat of Clutch and mixed with the dark,
sinister and bleak pictures painted in the lyrics, amazing tunes has
been created. 'Glenn's Promise' and 'Bury Me Deep' are fantastic
examples if this. Other songs, like the amazing 'Tonight', 'The
Watchers Nest' and 'Break My Love' bring forth feelings of 16
Horsepower and Woven Hand being dually fronted by David Eugene
Edwards and Mark Lanegan. The only oddity which works extremely well
is the jazzy hip hop ditty 'The Boogie Down' which features Camp Lo's
Sonny Cheeba. Funky to the tee with a brass section it follows suit
with album as a whole. And this is another part of this band's
greatness.
Lyrically The Midnight Ghost Train
sing about the down-and-outs, junkies and people living in the
fringes with not much hope of anything. It's like being at a
crossroads with less than good options. They sing about lies,
self-doubt, broken love and they do it so well. When any of the songs
play you are immediately transported into the story and the pain and
suffering is so vivid and real, it's like it's all happening to you.
Listen to 'Black Wave' and you know what I mean.
2017 has been other-worldly when it
comes to great albums being released and this Kansas trio certainly
adds magic to it. The way these guys do whatever they want to while
pouring their hearts and souls into it blows me away. But who's
complaining? Not me, that's for sure, because 'Cypress Ave.' is a
one-of-a-kind barnburner if there ever was one.
Words by Håkan
Nyman
Thanks to Mona at
Napalm Records for the promo. Cypress Ave. is now available to buy
now on CD/DD/Vinyl from Napalm Records now.
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