They may have only been formed in 2023 but The Middle People are already putting out the bands Best of, which maybe a touch over ambitious, but then this duo of Mikey Georgeson from David Devant & His Spirit Wife and Portuguese intellectual Antonio Olaio don't lack in ambition, this best of gathers highlights from the bands three albums, that feature a range of musicians including several other members of David Devant & His Spirit Wife.
The album opens with Can You Feel The Moment a Casio pop tune, with smoky crooned vocals, trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle in quirky unlikely ways, drawing listeners into the odd world of The Middle People.
Fly (Poetry) ululates while floating towards an immaculate yet disconcerting tabla rhythm encouraging you to buy a new hat, like you want to be a new incarnation of Pere Ubu's friend George, apparently if you hear this song more than three times in a row you will be compelled to buy a hat and write a couple of poems.
Do You Wanna B Right takes a disco bassline, some manipulated vocals and effects, encouraging us to both B Right and be happy, which is better than the alternatives for certain, this is insidiously catchy minimalist pop.
Things Change seems to transpose a rousing hymnal, into a rather askew keyboard led song for the possibility of change as a force, hopefully for good rather than the current change for evil purposes.
Love Is Plasticity has hushed almost Robbie Robertson style vocals, a stripped to the bone bass led tune, in love with the joys of plastic love, like they saw some dodgy porn about people turned on by Saran Wrap and felt they had found there tribe.
Rush Hour In The Studio all sorts of folks are going in and out of the place, did they hear about a special guest slot they wanted, or that the drugs had arrived, either way all sorts of weird things are added to the chanted chorus, with the introduction of the various guests and how they were transported into the studio that day.
Warmer In The Middle Of The Road has a buzzing amp guitar, fuzzily driving this song on, while they are certain that you'll be Warmer in The Middle Of The Road with a loping beat keeping a steady pace they won't get caught speeding.
Dogmatists In Disguise are of course the worst kind of idiotic bullies, trying to get everyone to conform and worship the nonsense they peddle, underground splintered sounds transforming any notion they might go mainstream any time soon.
Wrong Number takes us back to the days of the Party line and accidental hook ups from numbers written on toilet walls, or in the back of magazines, while sounding like the sort of minimal funk Ze Records used to specialize in.
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Hello John has a distinctly 70's sci-fi synth pop feel, for all the things that happen after you say Hello John, not all these things are good, some are downright weird, but this is the Middle People's speciality.
Half A Step From Heaven is whispered vocals and the most sparing beat and backing, sounding like it should build into a soul stirring gospel blues. The Body Knows it must listen to the rhythm within to free your mind and enjoy the phased synth parts, while wondering just how odd things can get.
Dancing My Way To The Sky has vocals sounding like they were recorded outside the studio behind a wall, allowing the simple keyboard pattern to drive on the tune, while you slowly strut across the room.
The album closes with God's Planet one of the songs from the bands Christmas album, thankfully this is light on the Christmas Cheer, more for the grinches amongst you, this has a dark edge to the ruminations peaking through the ambient synth drones.
Find out more at https://themiddlepeople.bandcamp.com/album/can-you-feel-the-moment https://www.instagram.com/the_middlepeople/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/974251061692768/
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