The sophomore studio long-player from
Greta Morgan, formerly of the
Hush Sound and
Gold Motel and a touring member of
La Sera,
Midnight Room is a deep red sunset of an album that flirts with gothic Americana, dreamy west coast indie rock, and bubbling '80s synth-pop. Propelled by a driving rhythm section and some nice, understated production work from
Chris Coady (
Beach House,
Future Islands), it's
Morgan's velvet delivery, a rich amalgam of
Johnette Napolitano,
Neko Case,
Jenny Lewis, and
Ellie Goulding, that packs the most punch. She brings a sultriness to otherwise straight-shooting, dusky highway burners like "Face the Moon," "Double Infinity," and the evocative title cut, and when she's not dabbling in
Daft Punk-esque club jams ("Under My Spell") or smoky,
Lynch-ian temptations like "Bad Dream Baby," she's channeling her inner
Springsteen via the gorgeous and torchy Americana closer "Rough Magic." There's a bit of an over-reliance on standard verse/chorus/verse AOR architecture, but
Morgan is a compelling enough storyteller and crooner to heat up even the most pedestrian arrangement. ~ James Christopher Monger