The straight-forward, fuzzy punk music that Lexington’s Rampancy At Midnight create during Spooky and the Karoushi is tremendously catchy. The guitar work present at this early part of their current EP Late is the Hour will immediately draw listeners in, while the frantic and haunting vocals that play at the top of the track further very the track. Hints of surf, psychedelic, and desert rock all can be discerned with this opening salvo.
Barrels shifts things up well. Rampancy At Midnight creates an angular track that builds upon the framework of acts like Franz Ferdinand and Interpol. The production of the Late is the Hour EP ties together the disparate twists and turns that the band includes here. The wall of fuzz is reminiscent of Steve Lieberman, while the intricate arrangement will appease fans of Tool and Airbourne. All together, any sort of comparison that one can make regarding Rampancy At Midnight immediately loses power a few seconds after. This is because the band goes a million different directions to a uniformly positive result with their new EP. One will have little idea where RaM will go on subsequent tracks, but the resulting track will be solid.
Hours Hours is another fun effort; eighties pop-punk (think pre-fame Goo Goo Dolls) works alongside the electronic fuzz of Atom and His Package. These two elements seem miles apart, but Rampancy at Midnight are able to whip fans up into a fury with an easily-chanted set of vocals.
Dream Escape is the final track on the Late is the Hour EP. Bold guitar lines give fans a lifeline as the vocals and drums do something much more atmospheric. Few artists are able to lay everything out on an EP, but Rampancy At Midnight create a tremendously solid release this time out.
Top Tracks: Spooky and the Karoushi, Hours Hours
Rating: 8.6/10
Late is the Hour by Rampancy At Midnight / 2016 Self / 4 Tracks / https://www.facebook.com/rampancymusic/ / https://rampancyatmidnight.bandcamp.com/