Synth EP Review: “Step Into The Neon Grid 2” by Midnight Driver

by Karl Magi

Midnight Driver’s “Step Into The Neon Grid 2” explores neon lit streets and romantic moments in a rush of digital funk. The evocation of driving through the night and dancing in ecstasy is powerful as the music unfolds.

“Dream Machine” begins with slicing, distorted vocal sounds and clapping percussion that launches the music. Full-sounding synth blasts out with dynamism and torrid energy. Max Rivers’ vocals are expressive and sincere, cut by a trumpeting synth that shines with intoxicating power.

As the chorus rises, Max Rivers captures the passionate yearning within the lyrics, the rhythm driving on. I see ribbons of asphalt unwinding as a car’s headlights illuminate them, while razor sounds move past and the drums pound. After a distorted moment, the underpinnings accelerate again and Max Rivers reaches out with ardent emotion, his voice trembling.

The synth vaults upward with burning radiance as undulating, arpeggiating tones speed on before a solo that draws images of a powerful engine howling down a moonlit highway, the vocals galvanizing. As the song comes to an end, broken vocal sounds continue to slash before silence falls.

“The highway hums a neon tune, wheels spinning under the silver moon,” as the storyteller adds that the streetlights blink “like they’ve got a clue.” As the radio crackles with static, he finds himself “chasing shadows in a lucid dream.” He wants the dream machine to carry him “past the stars where the lost hearts play.”

He longs for an endless night drive, pleading, “Don’t let me stay, dream machine, don’t fade today.” As the rearview mirror frames the past, “ghosts of summers whisper my name,” and despite the way time “bends and breaks,” it still feels the same. The skyline dissolves “into a purple haze” as he accelerates through “the glowing maze.”

Quickly rippling notes create a vivid, thrilling environment as the rhythm slams on to kick off “Club 2086.” Grooving tones shimmy as a vocal sample cuts through with passion and an incandescent synth flies with a midnight thrill. Sharper notes intertwine with brassy tones that pour out in a lucent wave.

A computerized note pattern swirls and skips, broadcasting high-tech liveliness as chopped-up vocals cut in. I enjoy the frolicking drum-and-bass rhythm that makes me want to bust a move while shadowed notes dance past. A luminous synth bursts with compelling positivity and the thunderous low end locks into a steady, groove-forward beat while the sharp edges cut in and boogie along before the music closes.

“Digitalo” commences as a propulsive rhythm accelerates with positive force and radiant tones blast out with encouragement and a funky flow. Towering drums explode as a luminous synth melody leaps with uplifting liveliness and the bass rumbles. The main melody is full of irrepressible positivity while the undulating bass moves with the thumping percussion.

There is a beat change as the melody launches with galvanizing strength, arpeggios spinning with bright flourish. The main melody cries out, full of nostalgic dreaminess, pulling me in completely. Trumpeting notes leap with engaging liveliness before the melody flies out on a nasal-sounding synth, radiating happy dynamism as the track comes to an end.

Stuttering lyrics dance with a punching rhythm to ignite “Neon Frequency Love.” Lisa Reed’s voice is strong yet breathy, full of ethereal warmth as she carries the rousing melody. Percussion rebounds with encouragement and forward motion, while the vocals radiate fierce need. Vocal fragments add a slightly unsettled shimmer as the low end presses forward.

The chorus rises with desire, followed by a computerized stutter. Underpinnings speed ahead with guiding liveliness and the chorus climbs with love and soulful emotion before the rhythm drops away. Lisa Reed’s fervent voice cries out alone as neon flashes and the track surges forward again, glowing with uplifting sensations and affection. Vibrating vocals fade as the track ends.

In the midnight city, “wires hum in blue,” as the narrator chases shadows that remind her of the song’s subject. She adds, “Your face appears in every TV glow, a fading signal in the afterglow.” Despite all the static on the line, she still hears the other person’s tone “calling through the night, I can’t leave it alone.”

“Neon frequency love” is the pulse of which the storyteller dreams. She says, “In the dark you flicker on, like a memory that’s never gone.” She wants love to lift her up without disconnecting her from the song’s subject, admitting, “I’m tuning into you tonight, on the edge of fading light.”

As the “city heartbeat echoes in the air,” she sees the song subject’s outline, but no one’s there. “Our messages are drifting out of sync, lost between the words we never speak.” She asks the other person to “turn the dial, don’t disappear, stay with me on this frontier,” and concludes, “If the night resets the sky, promise me you’ll still reply.”

“E-Motion” begins as wildly intertwining synth lines explode into accelerating pulsation while a fractured vocal sample moves with dynamic life. Warm female vocals skip through with positive radiance as the rhythm grows back into fullness. Distorted tones shimmy through the music with flaring luminosity before a nasal-sounding synth rockets forward with a melody that speaks of freedom.

Female vocals add a shattered shine before the percussion fades away and the bass sails on. I enjoy the way the vocal sample functions as an instrument, as open-sounding notes with a gruff edge intermingle with hard-hitting underpinnings. Excitement pours from the rapidly rushing synth and the track closes with an adrenaline-pumping melody.

A robotic voice comes in as a synth interlocks with the driving low end to propel the song and “Just Start the Party.” The lead synth stutters with crystalline dynamism as the percussion throbs, before beaming arpeggios twirl and the vocals speak of partying all night long. A wildly flying synth howls with exhilarating energy while interlocking underpinnings slam with groovy force. Choppy vocal sounds move alongside the exciting lead synth, permeating the music with neon light.

The way the funky groove drives on pulls me in as open-voiced notes jump with unbridled exuberance. The track then shifts into a section that explodes with intergalactic luminosity, the shimmying rhythm propelling everything forward. A slightly ragged synth twirls as elevated notes spill out and a choppy vocal sample shifts. The lead synth melody sings with joy and freedom, conjuring images of dancing all night long before the track ends.