St Louis country rockers Midwest Avenue bring the beauty of a live band straight through the airwaves, for the 14-track original album Moon Goes Down.
Standing tall on the strength of a quickly catchy, melodic and confident opener Money Back, Moon Goes Down instantly delivers the live folk and country instrumentation and passionate rasp of Midwest Avenue in a likable fashion. As we then shift into the piano-led calm of Moon Goes Down, the title-track, we see the versatility of this renowned performance act, and the project settles in for the long-run.
Organic music made from the heart and out of a clear joy for the process – Midwest Avenue are a self-defined family country band, a father, son and cousin united in strong grooves and catchy hooks. Like a Cadillac is a fine example of the precision, emotion and knees-up positivity of their style, and then we get creative redirection from the likes of Doesn’t Feel Like Home – that switch again to the piano, this time fuller, and the voice somewhat leaning towards Goo Goo Dolls in its soft-rock reflection and rising anticipation. A personal favourite.
Other highlights include the infectious upbeat shuffle of a brilliantly relatable Broke By Tomorrow, and the softer contrasting tones of an acoustic Our Town – perfectly placed for impact as a gently contemplative storyteller, rising up to euphorically evocative peaks. This pop-rock brightness continues for Younger Now, another feel-good anthem that again secures interest in Midwest Avenue as an unmissable live act.
Loaded with country classics but also an impressively eclectic array of songs, the style of Midwest Avenue’s songwriting is that of storytelling and strong hooks, musical unity and optimism, but the variety intertwined allows Moon Goes Down to hold attention and lift the mood consistently.
We forever move from deeply honest observations to quirky references and scenes of humour and grit carefully intertwined. The shift to Take Me Drunk (I’m Home) is a fine example, and no doubt an audience favourite for its all-together-now call and response chorus. And again, the subtle strings and intimacy of Red Wine follows on for effective juxtaposition.
Towards the end, High Life is another favourite for the sheer passion and hopeful presence of its arrangement and substance, and the live version of County Roads wraps things up with a celebratory bang that again reminds listeners of the energy and togetherness Midwest Avenue are likely to promise at any one of their upcoming shows.
Download or stream Midwest Avenue. Find the band on Facebook, X & Instagram.
