The Dig : Midnight Flowers

The Dig have relaxed and moved away from some of the grit, but towards more of the skill, for another accomplished record. ...
The Dig : Midnight Flowers
7.8 Buffalo Jump
2012 

The Dig : Midnight Flowers

Since their start, Brooklyn’s The Dig have risen above the million-and-one Brooklyn bands by combining garage-grit with indie-skill – not to mention a killer live show (QRO review).  Debut full-length Electric Toys (QRO review) captured that very well – but how do they fare on their follow-up, Midnight Flowers?  Well, The Dig have relaxed and moved away from some of the grit, but towards more of the skill, for another accomplished (if this time poorly weighted) record.

The first side of Midnight captures what is best about this ‘new Dig’.  The distant processional loss of opener “Red Rose In the Cold Winter Ground” lives up to that tragic-worthy title, while the following “Black Water” plays like one of the expert sad pieces from Electric Toys such as “Carry Me Home”.  The Dig do relax perfectly on the subsequent “I Already Forgot Everything You Said”, relaxed and wry without being lazy or too knowing (and it has a killer title line).  Meanwhile, the following “All Tied Up” and “Hole In My Heart” do pretty and sweet, respectively, without being too pretty or sweet, or just pretty or sweet.

The back half of Flowers is good – just not as good as the first.  The Dig get a little simpler in their relaxed, subdued nature, sometimes expansive, but never quite as gripping.  It feels a bit as if The Dig had to choose between their gritty side and their higher one, and there’s nothing wrong with choosing the higher one – as exemplified by the first half – but Flowers does miss the band’s indie-grit.  But The Dig couldn’t keep up that balancing act forever, and if they’ve fallen to one side, they’ve fallen well.

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