Midnight Album Mixes Melody and Meaning

By Maya Rosenberg, Editor-in-Chief

British singer-song writer Lewis Watson released his sophomore album “Midnight” Mar. 25, and he’s never sounded better. His signature acoustic style blends perfectly with the heavier sounds of percussion, piano and electric guitar to create an album that has both beautiful melodies and creative, romantic lyrics.

 

The 11 track, 47 minute album is a mix of upbeat songs with soft verses building up to the crescendo of chorus and slower songs that center on his voice. Many of the songs focus on love, but Watson approaches this topic differently in each song. Some songs describe the complications of love (“Maybe We’re Home”) while others are about time’s effect on love (“Forever” and “Little Light”). Watson’s poetic lyrics provide each track with a fresh message.

 

“Midnight” starts off with “Maybe We’re Home,” a track about the possible regrets of a love not followed. The song opens with a dark bass riff that continues throughout the whole song, which provides the anxious lyrics with a fitting sound.

 

It then moves on to “Little Light,” which is a standout track on the album. “Little Light,” has some of the best lyrics on “Midnight,” with Watson letting his true emotions shine through. He sings about a love that he has waited his whole life for: “and all my days were young and wasted, when I was waiting, oh for you..but ever since I found you, a little light is breaking through.”

 

Watson’s use of consistent use of metaphors throughout this song (“Now I’m shooting for the moon, you’re calling me a lunar light” and “staring at the roots, nobody there to help me grow I was longing for the rain, you were the flood that made me overflow”) paint a beautiful picture of his joy for the lasting love he has waited for. The song was also released as a gorgeous acoustic single, which provides a refreshing take on the percussion heavy album version.

 

The fourth song on the album, “La Song,” adds calming balance to the tracklist. It’s not Watson’s first time singing the song; he had the demo on his previous album “The Morning: All of the Songs.” However, this version has a buildup of drums and soft electric guitar which gives more depth to the song than before.

 

The fifth track, “When the Water Meets the Mountains,” is one of the more upbeat songs on the album. The soft humming, sweet violins and folksy guitar create a light hearted song amongst some of the heavier beats.

 

A consistent theme throughout this album was the structure of the songs. Watson built up soft verses to powerful choruses, and used crescendoing bridges to lead into subdued endings. His use of speed and volume enhance his emotional and beautiful lyrics, making each song a piece of art.

 

This crescendo effect can be seen in many songs across the album, but is perhaps best utilized in the seventh track, “Forever.”

 

The song begins with a steady beat, but then the tempo picks up. There is a second of silence, and then the songs crashes into a soaring chorus that perfectly aligns with the lyrics pleading for a rekindling of a lost relationship. The song then returns to its rhythmic tempo, and the process repeats again.

 

The closing track, “Midnight,” is a slow song that showcases Watson’s voice. It is a beautiful track about loving someone even after “everything is gone forever.” The simplicity of Watson’s voice in harmony with a piano almost cleanses the listener’s palette, and cleanly finishes the album with a focus on what Watson’s music is truly about: the lyrics.

 

“Midnight” is an alluring creation that draws the listener in through both swelling choruses and soft verses. Watson’s sophomore album does not disappoint.