Blacklight Hotel – Morse Code
Blacklight Hotel – Morse Code – EP Review
This was way harder to assess than I thought it would be if I’m being entirely honest. If you had asked me prior to listening, if Blacklight Hotel would come out with a kickass new record the next time they put something out, I’d have told you that’s a certainty. After listening to the Morse Code EP, I felt like I was hearing the sound of a band looking to regain their footing & unsure of where to find solid ground, and I ended up feeling like each song on this record had me tossing and turning over whether it lived up to the expectations, hopes, and excitement they previously generated. There’s lots of good stuff here when it comes right down to it…but is it the greatness we KNOW they’re destined for? It’s hard to say.
As I listened to the title-track, I kinda felt a bit split about it. One the one hand, there’s no doubt that you have to admire the sheer level of skill and creativity that would go into the making of…like…this entire idea as a whole. Honestly, to see something like “Morse Code” happening in front of you live would probably put everybody right on their ass as Blacklight Hotel knocked them over with a stunning array of intensity and musicianship combined…it’d be awe-inspiring to see and hear, I’m sure of that. Having said that, there’s part of me that thinks the band has nearly abandoned all aspects of their accessibility…and while that should never really be the main focus of making music, it’s still a concern. I look at it this way – the performance of “Morse Code” is way more memorable than any one specific piece of it, you know what I mean? Hearing singer Jennifer Valdez throw the switch into her most demanding moments in the melody, is like experiencing that same intensity and electricity you’d find required to power an electrocution. Grim comparison, I know, but you’ll get what I mean when you hear it – it’s pretty damn shocking, and would jolt just about anyone listening after she floated through the verses in a more unassuming, soulful, early-Stefani kind of style. All of a sudden, she summons like, ALL of the energy in the room, and detonates “Morse Code,” practically willing this song to a whole new level of nuclear energy. Regardless of what anyone out there thinks of “Morse Code” overall, you’ve still gotta admire the raw power of Blacklight Hotel…it’s like they spend the verses charging up, and then release an onslaught of gripping melody in the chorus to follow. And sure, there are some substantial hooks in the chorus of “Morse Code” that could grow on you enough to stick with ya after the song has stopped playing & a few spins I suppose. Where I’m more concerned about a track like “Morse Code” isn’t through their performance – Blacklight Hotel is synonymous with quality musicianship and potent execution – but it’s in whether or not the two main pieces of this track are working with each other, or against…and I’m not all that sure about that. I get the concept of contrast, and I certainly advocate on behalf of how effective it can be…but there’s something about “Morse Code” that feels dangerously like a bridge too far for the average everyday listener to stick with over the course of one song. That’s why I’m saying, in a live setting, there’s a bit more freedom to flex something with this kind of creativity and enormous degrees of contrast…this is the kind of showstopper where everybody turns their head and says ‘DAMN – they just pulled that off?’ Some tracks are meant for a live setting…and I kind of suspect that “Morse Code” is one of those tunes. In either setting however, recorded or live, I feel like “Morse Code” is what you’d consider to be an interesting tune…the kind of cut you admire and marvel at for being as unique as it is and the commitment being shown to the material…but it was hard to judge if these two main halves of the song really suited each other, or if they were trying to bang two pieces of a puzzle together in a way that would convince us they fit all along, and belonged together. I’ll admit, I’ve got a few doubts about that, but I also kind of feel like the chorus is likely strong enough to carry the band to a victory. Each part has its own separate allure, don’t get me wrong…just not entirely sure about them appearing together is all. I get that without the verse, the chorus of “Morse Code” wouldn’t be nearly as potent, and vice versa…the dynamics of loud/quiet, or the dynamics of sweet/sour…I dunno…it could work. Time will tell…the court of public opinion will render its verdict, they’ll see the results, and they’ll know if they were really onto something here, or not.
I’ll put it to ya this way…my last real experience with Blacklight Hotel was about two years ago now on a song called “Echo,” and in listening to this new EP, it feels like I’m picking up a show in the middle of its second season, trying to figure out why the main characters have changed as much as they have. Am I “Ready?” Honestly – no! I’m not. It feels like I’m a step behind in whatever morphed the band’s sound and direction. That doesn’t necessary imply that I think anything is bad here…just like…unexpected. I thought I had a bead on what Blacklight Hotel was gonna go on to do, and tracks like “Ready” weren’t in that particular assumption, you feel me? This is why I do my level best to never have expectations or hopes when it comes to the artists & bands out there in the scene…y’all should have the freedom to do whatever the heck you wanna do, but as much as I stand by that, I’m human and I can’t help it. I don’t mind “Ready,” because the execution of this band will never let you down…they’re a tight unit as a band and when the recording light comes on, they deliver. As of hearing “Ready” though, I felt like I could end up making a stronger case for “Morse Code” being closer to what I thought Blacklight Hotel might have been? “There’s no room for mistakes, don’t you let them down” – pressure gets to us all, right? As I always tell ya, all you can ever do is give everything you’re doing everything you’ve got…and I firmly believe that Blacklight Hotel is doing exactly that…but it’s way tougher to tell if that’s gonna be enough to make the material connect. Right now, I’m kinda concerned that I haven’t heard a hook that I feel like is going to last too long…and that’s a pretty crucial element, ain’t it? Everything I’m hearing in “Ready” has me feeling much similar to how I felt about “Morse Code” before it – I’d absolutely, 100% stop and watch and listen to this band if they were playing this material live, but it would be their performance that I’d likely remember more than I’d remember the songs, you know what I mean? I feel like they’ve done their due diligence by committing to the moment and bringing their A-game to each of their individual components, but “Ready” as a song, feels a bit thinner than I was expecting from them I guess. I feel like I can make a case for the uniqueness, the contrast, and the artistically ambitious design of a song like “Morse Code,” but I’m somewhat struggling to find the redemption points of “Ready.” I like the breakdown and the bringback the most I guess, but that’s like, right before the song wraps up. You definitely can’t fault the band for their execution, they’re still crushing it in that regard…I think it’s a bit more to do with the songwriting itself right now. I think what I believe Blacklight Hotel is capable of and what they’re currently putting out doesn’t quite reconcile – make sense? That could totally be on me…I freakin’ loved “Echo,” and while I wouldn’t want them to just carbon copy themselves over and over again…I’m not sure if the level of interest they generated on that early single was the exception, or the rule at this point. I’ve always viewed my job as to be the guy that challenges artists and bands to tap into their best…”Ready” has me bristling a bit in defiance…I do want a bit more out of Blacklight Hotel when it comes to the strength of their material. Again, to be crystal fucking clear, performance-wise, they’re tough as nails and I’ve got no issues there…but songwriting-wise, I’m starting to question things.
Hmm. Yep…I’ve gotta be honest…I don’t know if this is it Blacklight Hotel. I think both “Ready” and “The Stroke Of Midnight” made me feel like I might have judged “Morse Code” too harshly at first – that’s the EP’s best cut by comparison by the time you reach the end of this record, isn’t it? I’ll reserve the right to change my mind before I finish this review off…because I do feel like I could grow very partial towards this last cut within a couple spins. “I need better,” sings Jennifer – and I feel like we feel that in more ways than one. I kind of feel like the band is selling themselves short a little bit when it comes right down to it – like they’ve got more in them than they’re showing us right now. I can make a case for “The Stroke Of Midnight” maybe having the most memorable hooks in the set, but I also feel like we’re splitting hairs a bit too, because it ain’t by much. I listened to the Morse Code EP and felt like I had to reset my assumptions on what Blacklight Hotel was going to go on to become…they’re different than I thought they were gonna be, and that’s totally okay. I’m not the end-all, be-all of music – I’m just an opinion on the internet and nothing more. If I’m right, they’ll see it reflected in the way people listen to these songs and how they respond to them…if I’m wrong, and this material connects to them, then believe me, I’ll be the happy to admit that. My gut doesn’t lead me astray too often though, for the record. Right now, I’m hearing a band in flux…at a transition point, where Blacklight Hotel is doing their best to stretch their wings & soar in a whole new direction, but doesn’t quite have the vision as to where they’re going to end up. I really like a lot of what Eric has been bringing to the guitar on this EP, and I’d say he gets the gold star when it comes to the musicianship on Morse Code. Kris holds the fort down well enough with the drums, but I felt like he’s got room to do a bit more than he has been, and felt about the same way with Danny on the bass. They’re all competent and professional, don’t get me wrong – but it’s almost like they’re taking it easy on each other with the material on the Morse Code EP, and I feel like they’ve gotta have some tougher conversations about what is/isn’t working, and whether or not they’re focused on heading in the same direction towards shared goals for what they wanna sound like. Essentially, a band that is as skilled as Blacklight Hotel shouldn’t ever have you wondering if they played it all too safe…this should be that live-wire band that navigates through the danger zone to blow your mind with the results, in my opinion. I probably came around a bit more to “The Stroke Of Midnight” by the time I went to write this review than I thought I would…heck, I might even feel like this ended up being the stronger cut of the three and a more effective example of their use of contrast, edging out “Morse Code” after all. How could I not? Jennifer ends up providing a serious string of melodic highlights on this track. It does possess a more noticeable degree of accessibility to its endearing hooks, and I love how the guitars on “The Stroke Of Midnight” sound like they could have been on an Explosions In The Sky record as well. Maybe it IS the best song on the EP after all…but like, still not what I thought I would find from Blacklight Hotel? I don’t mind being surprised…hell, I don’t even really mind not finding what I thought I would – everybody grows, every artist and band evolves in what they do and there are just as many leaps forward as there are steps backwards along the way. Like I said…it’s my job to push the creative community to be at their best, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. When it comes time to record, Blacklight Hotel is not gonna be the band that ever lets you down, and Jennifer is still the key to their victory…if you’re excited about something you hear from this crew, it’s always gonna come down to something she did as the real X-factor in what you experienced. They’re still well on the early side of their career as a band when it comes right down to it…so give’em time to settle into what they wanna do, focus, and move towards those goals on a unified front. They’ve got all the right pieces it takes to succeed, and while I might not be entirely sure that the Morse Code EP capitalizes completely on their absolutely, undeniably, incredible potential, everything they do is an opportunity to learn about what does/doesn’t work, and I’m confident they’ll continue to break new ground.
Find out more about Blacklight Hotel from this multi-link here: https://linktr.ee/blacklighthotel
Fun fact – did you know some of the most capable minds and amazing musicians you’ve ever known STILL can’t find the best way to submit their music to us? You’d think it’d be easy, given that it’s right there on the main page of our site, yet the battle still continues! Click here to be the next up on our pages – it’s really that simple!
