Freak Accident, The

***Hotly anticipated by a select few, the soon to be released follow-up to The Freak Accident’s 2023 LP/CD Outer Space Is Boring entitled The Midnight Show is a co-release between TFA guitarist Ralph Spight’s Nerve Center Recordings and Nadine Records, the adventurous Portland Indie label run by Nasalrod/Berzerk bass legend Mandy Morgan.

This new album sees the Outer Space... bet and raises the stakes: The heavier parts are heavier, the improvised parts are more improv-ier, the punk parts are punkier,the noise is noisier: the album expands the known universe of what this band is capable of as the band of Ralph Spight (vocals, guitar), Henry Austin Lannan (bass, vocals) and Stark Raving Brad (drums, vocals) have coalesced since the last album into band that can and does go in whatever direction they please.

From the tongue in cheek Indie Rock of “Don’t Blame Me” through the synth tinged punk of “Fairytales”, the dark garage surf of “Busted Time Machine” through the undersea adventuring of “Gill Transplant”, the pop song turned noise jam “I’ll Be Your Toilet” and the dissonant swing of “Down in the Dumps” The Midnight Show is a wild ride with surprises around every corner from a band that doesn’t care to be bogged down with conventions.

A band inside joke about about having to play last at every show which formed the basis of the lyrics for title track gets twisted through a dystopian, Sci-Fi B-Movie filter where religion, dudes whining about standing in line at the post office, death, authoritarianism, codependency, depression and internet trolls create a late-night movie skewering the worst that modern world has to offer with a healthy side of dark humor. The Midnight Show is an album that will reveal new hidden gems with each listen. Eye popping cover design by poster art legend ZOLTRON. This could be your new favorite album. Just sayin’.