Listen/Watch: Night Moves - "Fallacy Actually"

 

Minneapolis' Night Moves may have three excellent albums under their belt but if there's one they know their way around, it's a single. Their ability to craft an absolutely infectious ear worm had me practically salivating for a track "Border On Border" nearly five years before they offered up a proper recording on sophomore record Pennied Days and with their latest album Can You Really Find Me in their rear view, the band has not only holed up to write/record, they've decided to release said songs in series - instead of holding onto them until an album manifests itself. That's good news for old fans and new fans alike because "Fallacy Actually" is a pitch perfect entry of the band's trademark pop psychedelia. From the moment it starts, with its incredibly ear-catching melody crafted on layered synths and piano - the band immediately hooked me. The arresting blend of harmonica, guitar, and flute, effortlessly soundtrack John Pelant's nostalgic reveries as he ponders the true end of things and what could've been. The songs titular fallacy places emotions against learned experience - Pelant's back and forth between if he could do things differently countered with the fact that the knowledge came from such a flawed experience: "Stopped trying to love you anyway I can because it's all lies" Pelant croons but quickly follows it with "If I could see you again, the hand that holds you, well it's all I talk about, I've known nothing new".  The track is positively decadent - luxuriating in its most winsome moments, building its layers and momentum, weaving in and out of lush arrangements and neatly tucking in a sumptuous guitar solo.

 The track is a dizzying rush of emotions - an ebb and flow of the head versus the heart, and the band's use of synthesizers and Pelant's eclectic of influences (Canned Heat, Motown, UFO abductions) evoke both the confusion and temptation of settling back into a relationship you've outgrown as well as solidify the band as more than your garden variety 70s psychedelic rock revivalists.  

Night Moves' "Fallacy Actually" is out now on Domino.

Listen: Night Moves - "Carl Sagan"

With all the bands inspired by Carl Sagan's Cosmos (Yellow Ostrich's appropriately named final album Cosmos springs immediately to mind), it's hardly surprising to find that Minneapolis outfit Night Moves are among them.  Album opener "Carl Sagan", the second single from their upcoming sophomore record Pennied Days, continues in Night Moves twangy, swaggering take on indie rock by taking things down a notch or two from "Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry". While the first single set its lovelorn pining at a quick step, "Carl Sagan" proceeds in increments and questions seemingly without answer.

"Am I fool to ignore them? How else shall I go on? Am I a fool to expect that someday I'm gonna be be gone?" John Pelant croons and it's easy to see how those questions apply both on a smaller and grander, more cosmic scale. Inspired by Pelant and Micky Alfano going through a Cosmos phase, Pelant uses the metaphor loosely giving it a sense of universal appeal. Pelant's songwriting here errs on the side of minimalism, engaged in a sort of lyrical Tetris that finds him subbing in seemingly unimportant words in a surprisingly effective manner. The lyrical sleight of hand is aided by the extensive amount of instrumental breaks Night Moves indulge in on "Carl Sagan" as they pair slide guitar with immersive organ and synth textures that updates the band's take on 70s psychedelic folk rock.



Night Moves' sophomore record is out March 25th on Domino. You can pre-order the album digitally here or on CD/LP here which comes with a bonus EP. Also, they'll be embarking on a pretty expansive US tour so make sure to catch them play the new cuts live and in person. Most dates are available for pre-order this Friday.

Night Moves US Tour Dates
Thurs April 14 || Minneapolis, MN || First Ave
Sat April 16 || Chicago, IL || Schubas Tavern
Mon April 18 ||Toronto, ON || Drake Hotel
Tues April 19 || Montreal, QC || Le Divan Orange
Thurs April 21 || Philadelphia, PA || Boot & Saddle
Fri April 22 || Brooklyn, NY || Rough Trade
Sat April 23 || Boston, MA || Great Scott
Sun April 24 || Washington, DC || DC9
Mon April 25 || Columbus, OH || Rumba Cafe
Tues April 26 || Indianapolis, IN || The Hi-Fi
Wed April 27 || Madison, WI || The Frequency
Fri May 6 || Seattle, WA || Sunset Tavern
Sat May 7 || Portland, OR || Doug Fir Lounge
Tues May 10 || San Francisco, CA || Rickshaw Stop
Wed May 11 || Santa Barbara, CA || Velvet Lounge
Thurs May 12 || Los Angeles, CA || The Echo
Fri May 13 || San Diego, CA || Casbah
Sat May 14 || Phoenix, AZ || Rebel Lounge
Wed May 18 || Austin, TX || Sidewinder
Thurs May 19 || Houston, TX || Rudyards British Pub
Fri May 20 || Dallas, TX || Double Wide
Sat May 21 || Kansas City, MO || Tank Room
Sun May 22 || Omaha, NE || Reverb Lounge

Listen: Night Moves - "Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry"

photo by Bryan Derballa

I say without a sliver of hyperbole that I have been waiting for a follow record from Minneapolis' Night Moves almost immediately after holing up with their debut album Colored Emotions and subsequent live video binge. Considering their wide range of influences and musical interests, what a follow up would sound like was pretty much anyone's guess. However with "Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry", the first single from their recently announced sophomore record Pennied Days, fans have a least a hint of what to expect.

"Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry" somehow manages to curb the band's countrified twang in favor of more streamlined pop hooks without actually seeming like that much of a change. A gradual pivot instead of a shark-jumping leap, Night Moves still have a trick or two up their sleeve that makes me truly excited for the record. The molasses-slow swagger of Colored Emotions is replaced with a insistent forward momentum and bit of harmonic pyrotechnics as John Pelant and Micky Alfano settle into fast paced interlocking grooves. No doubt aided by the duo's years of playing together, "Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry" is a brisk jam that still manages to memorable and ear catching.

With "Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry", Night Moves return triumphant and reinvigorated with their best foot forward in a move that bodes particularly well for the rest of Pennied Days. It might be a couple months until the album's release but "Denise, Don't Wanna See You Cry" is strong enough to instill the surest of confidence that it's going to be an absolute thrill ride and I'd expect nothing less.



Night Moves' sophomore record Pennied Days is out March 25th on Domino. The record is available for pre-order now.

Pitstop: Night Moves

                                                            (Photo by Nick Walker)

My discovery of Minneapolis foursome Night Moves happened as most of my discoveries tend to - by their affiliation with another band, in this case Night Moves being the headliners at an upcoming Brooklyn show featuring ARMS.



Perhaps the most endearing thing about the quartet is the way their music kind of hang out on the very fringes of genre. There's a dream folk haze, undeniable pop rock moments, and sparringly employed string arrangements that rival those of your standard indie pop band. Night Moves are sort of an amalgam of all these things and more. Recalling a sort 70s psych rock group with a modern twist, I was actually surprised to learn they weren't from the Bay area of California.



Their debut album Colored Emotions released last year on Domino Records is the perfect summation of their influences and inspired sounds - every label you can ascribe to the band finds a proper footing on the album and is utilized to make an absolutely  unpinnable album - there's a sort of vintage folk rock purr as the base with an electronic fuzz giving the songs their hazy atmospheric glimmer,  baroque pop grandeur, and classic rock intensity that ensures the whole Frankenstein's monster of influences eventually ambles its way towards the finish line.



Night Moves are more than just a nostalgia act however, their influences are properly utilized and deployed in a way that ensures the group's songs are not only intense enjoyable but also infinitely memorable. Considering my numerous replays of Colored Emotions in full, I'd say they achieved a near perfect alchemical  balance of well-intentioned thought and excellent presentation. It's enough to make you incredibly excited for the opportunity to catch them live. Which you won't actually have to wait too long for since they just hit the road. You can view tour dates here.