After Midnight Project - Let's Build Something To Break Review

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 09.01.2009

Los Angeles rockers After Midnight Project recently released their debut album, Let's Build Something To Break. Does the quintet bring some freshness to the staling modern rock scene?

The Band

Jason Evigan- Vocals
Spencer Bastian - Guitar
Christian Meadows- Guitar
TJ Armstrong- Bass, Vocals
Dan Morris- Drums


The Track Listing

1. Backlit Medley- 3:43
2. The Becoming- 3:32
3. Scream For You- 3:07
4. Take Me Home- 3:45
5. More To Live For- 3:49
6. Gone Too Long- 4:15
7. Hollywood- 3:02
8. The Real Thing- 3:50
9. Come On Come On- 2:57
10. Fighting My Way Back- 4:09
11. The Criminal- 5:11





The Review

The modern rock scene is over saturated with countless bands looking for that one big single to catapult them to the top of the charts, touring alongside the Nickelback’s and the Shinedown’s of the rock world. In the process of trying to piece together the perfect hit, most musicians throw away any spark of creativity, focusing on notoriety and mainstream acclaim. Where are the bands that are pushing the envelope and not sticking to conventions that have been regurgitated for years? Is there anybody out there who can rise above the nameless, faceless concoctions manipulated by the major record labels? Is After Midnight Project the band that can save rock as we know it?

Honestly? No. This is a generic debut album that plays it safe around every turn. From the overwrought ballads to the tame rockers with a slight edge to them, the eleven tracks traverse down familiar territory that has been plowed through a hundred times over by plenty of up-and-comers. Anybody looking for groundbreaking musicianship can click off this review right now; Let’s Build Something To Break won’t satisfy anybody's hunger for innovation.

At first glance, it appears that Let’s Build Something To Break is an open and shut case. A bland album that doesn’t live in the danger zone, regaled to winning over fans with a boatload of emotional lyrics and fist-pumping anthems. All of these factors above make this next sentence sound even stranger than it should. While all these circumstances would be flaws to most bands, After Midnight Project is able to turn them around into a surprisingly entertaining listen. The band doesn’t break any boundaries, but they have a knack for catchy songwriting and moments of sheer brilliancy that seems to suggest that there is a lot more to this quintet than meets the eye.

Let’s Build Something To Break is comprised of a blend of new material and a few re-recorded songs from their 2007 EP The Becoming. They both gel nicely, and since the majority of listeners are being exposed to the band for the first time, many will hardly notice. After Midnight Project keeps the album at a high energy level, making the album fly by, with little room for dragging or excessive meandering. The band works the soft verse/heavy chorus dynamic well, keeping the album tightly structured to avoid trailing off into unneeded interludes.

Opener “Backlit Medley” and “Scream For You” are perfect examples of this back-and-forth relationship that the abrasive moments share with the tender melodies. “Hollywood” is way too upbeat for its own good, with a pleasant acoustic/electric vibe hiding the harsh realities of Hollywood’s glamorous lifestyle. The two ballads, “Gone Too Long” and “Fighting My Way Back,” are standard for the genre, but are held up by singer Jason Evigan’s wide vocal range. Emotional without sounding cheesy, Evigan has a commanding presence on Let’s Build Something To Break, save for the blatantly-processed screams that sound pro-tooled to death.

Unlike most modern rock albums, After Midnight Project saves the best for last on the epic closer “The Criminal.” A haunting story of a man fighting a losing battle in an endless war, the band pulls out all the stops. Acoustic guitars, female choir vocals, harmonic lead guitar work, a driving main riff and a horns section are all used to effective transmit a bleak atmosphere. Evigan is the main attraction; his falsetto work is phenomenal and he is able to hit all the right notes without turning the track into an 80s hard rock reject tune. “The Criminal” is one of the best mainstream rock songs of the year and is an encouraging sign for what may lie ahead for After Midnight Project.

For a standard rock album, Let’s Build Something To Break has a lot to offer. The band eludes a confidence and charisma that isn’t found on most debut albums. There are a few missteps, including the electronic elements of “More To Live For” and the sappy ballads, but After Midnight Project has all the key traits to make a name for themselves in the near future. What the band lacks in originality, they make up for in proficient songwriting and sheer talent.

The 411: While not original in the slightest bit, Let's Build Something To Break has a positive energy and vibe to it that can't be denied. After Midnight Project has conviction in their sound and strong songwriting to boot, both big helps in making the listener root for the band. The album is worth the listen just for "The Criminal," which is one of the strongest rock songs I've had the chance to hear all year. There is a little something for everyone on AMP's debut album, a humble beginning that could possibly blossom into a storied career.

Final Score:  6.5   [ Average ]