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Night Surgeon

Day For Night

Written by: DR on 25/02/2011 19:52:49

Given the seemingly cyclical nature of music, I guess it was only a matter of time before a band like Night Surgeon came along. This duo from Portlan, Oregon, USA are a self-professed "electro pop rock" act, but influences from 80s UK acts like Depeche Mode are unavoidable, and then throw in a strong vibe along the lines of more UK bands like The Pigeon Detectives, and you'll start to comprehend what it is that Night Surgeon are all about.

The end result is something I'm going to call 'disco-indie'. Their fusion of electro-pop rock, radio-friendly indie with a dark 80s edge isn't exactly like much I've heard before; it makes you want to dance, sing along and then the occasional dark undertones make you feel a bit solemn afterwards. Obviously, music of this ilk is born for radio-play, and therefore must be built around catchy, up-tempo choruses that stick in your memory. Opening track "Color Me Black And White" is an example that these guys can pen a decent chorus, "Roman Error" will get your feet tapping along with it, as will the happy electronics in "Strength In Numbers".

Those three songs are the first three songs, and the only songs out of all nine that really stick out. From there on in, everything is just more forgettable, less instantly-attractive, and in some cases even hard to listen to. For instance, "Brick Moon" sounds harsh and grating, like it belongs in a video game and not an album. The production can sometimes make it seem as though the guitars and electronics, when used simultaneously, are fighting one another for space, and in other, solely electronic songs, there are too many influences from different corners of the genre thrown in, resulting in a confused mess.

Like many young bands, Night Surgeon suffer from inconsistency - there are kinks to work out. There are times when the electronics would serve better as ornamentation to the guitars, or the other way around. But there is a solid EPs worth of material here, and what's more they're fresh, so this band must have potential.

Download: Color Me Black And White, Roman Error, Strength In Numbers
For The Fans of: Depeche Mode, Wolfsheim, Ravens & Chimes
Listen: Bandcamp

Release Date 15.02.2011
Too Dark Records