Sounds Escape - Album Review: Midnight Drive
Sounds Escape is the solo project of Logan Wedgwood, an Auckland based drummer, guitarist, and composer. Sounds Escape started coming into being during lockdown, and having released two EPs since 2022, Midnight Drive is his debut full length album.
This is guitar-driven music, but with a different take on the instrument from what one might expect from an instrumental guitar album. Logan uses a very dynamics-focused approach, to create soundscapes influenced by particular emotions, all in a reserved and thoughtful manner. There is little in the way of any melodies, or any soloing, but that's not really the point here. This is music more designed to be a soundtrack to your thoughts, cycling through waves of emotion at times, and frequently uplifting.
Alive is a nice gentle starter, a rhythm section coming in softly but solidly, and providing ample support for the many-textured journey the guitar takes on this one. You could have easily heard some of the riffs in Escape LA on the Sunset Strip in the 80's, a subdued slightly hairband feel that builds to an energetic end. There's a washy, drifty richness to the interplay of guitar and bass on See Me that continues throughout, deftly changing from theme to theme. See You continues with that same mellowness, with some lilting, soft piano.
By comparison, Hold On is more intense and passionate. Next up is a tastefully arranged cover of Tracy Chapman's Fast Car, a worthy tribute to the original. Lullaby For The Lost is hauntingly emotional, and Afraid Of The Dark starts out in a suitably creepy fashion, hinting at fearful things lurking in the shadows. Slow Drive sets a pensive mood, a perfect accompaniment for a drive through the hills. There is a mournful sense to Finally, a feeling of lamenting and loss, which resolves into an expression of joy. Which brings us to Goodbye, a poignant and thoughtful endpiece, perfectly capturing the bittersweet feeling of parting.
It could almost be suggested that this is music to be experienced, rather than listened to, per se. Sounds Escape has already had interest from multiple film studios... coming to a screen near you, soon.
About Sounds Escape
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