Born At Midnite, “Eternal BAM Nation”

Bandcamp Daily has named the album Eternal BAM Nation by the group Born At Midnite as its Album of the Day. The writer sees this debut album as a work that reaches for a wide range of styles with open arms, from pop and electronic to city pop, dub reggae, disco, techno, and indie. The piece stresses that, rather than trying to sell itself through the story behind the album, Born At Midnite leans on the performance and the direct energy of the music. That same approach can be heard in the album's sound. The music is bright and theatrical, and it wants to seize the listener's attention. The track "Wash You Out" moves forward with hints of hyperpop, sharp synths, and a pounding bass. In "Smash," the beats shift shape midway through, and the track turns into a slower, more blurred version of itself. The writer places Born At Midnite within the tradition of electro duos, from Suicide to Justice and Soft Cell. In his view, this two-person setup is exactly what gives the sound more freedom and focus, lending the album the feel of a mixtape. The vocal melodies move from confidence and playfulness to sorrow and vulnerability. The album even includes a nod to Avril Lavigne's famous "rock chick" monologue in "…Rock On…" and a Bon Iver-flavored flip of a Judie Tzuke sample. The piece closes by emphasizing that Amery Sandford and David Carriere, despite bringing together such different styles, have built a world of their own. A world in which fun, heightened emotion, and performance run from the beginning to the end of Eternal BAM Nation.

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