Infectious, addictive, and undeniably nostalgic, The Night Café have – simply put – smashed it with their long-awaited debut album.
Merging fan-favourites from a while back, with more exploratory new tracks – many of which are newly contemplative rather than their older, cheekier style – the debut consists of 18 tracks which tell the band’s story so far, starting as they mean to go on. Love, and all that it encompasses, is a prominent theme on the album. It ranges from the infatuating thrill of a relationship’s initial stages – explored in tracks such as ‘Addicted’ – to the controlling nature of unhealthy relationships in ‘Endless Lovers’, and not forgetting the dreaded heartbreak that arrives after. Meaningful lyrics carefully interwoven between light riffs, catchy rhythms, and steady beats will have you hooked right from the start, and so will their ability to celebrate love in all forms – whether that be romantically, or just in looking out for a mate.
Cleverly split into four segments, which each delve into a different product of experimentation, you’re either basking in nostalgia with the likes of the Bon Iver-esque, introspective ‘A Message To Myself’, or having a boogie to the upbeat, old-school likes of ‘Mixed Signals’. They soften the harsh blow of heartbreak by applying a base of relatability to such a grim concept, done through nonchalant lyrics and snappy instrumentation.
In fact, the crafting of the lyrics is so seamless that they make the theme of each track – whether that be pain, lust, or love – seem like a completely mundane concept, something we experience on a day-to-day basis… even if it’s something which we’ve never encountered before. “When I write songs about a break up, for instance, I’ve never broken up with anyone, so how would I know how it feels?” pondered Sean Martin, The Night Café’s guitarist and drummer in a recent interview with The Rodeo. “I’ve been with my girlfriend for six years, so I have to imagine what it’d feel like and then kind of write it based on that perspective.” And they do just that – effortlessly so.
Haiku Review
A perfect merging
Of nostalgia and feistiness,
With comforting relatability.
Listen to The Night Café on Spotify and Apple, and read our interview with them here!
