Swift, Taylor
Midnights
Rare & Collectible Vinyl Records

Sealed 2022 US Original Gatefold. This Is The Marbled "Mahogany" Variant. "Midnights Isn't A Retreat So Much As A Return, A Revival Of The Moody Electro-pop That Kept Reputation Roiling. Where That 2017 Record Carried A Measure Of Defiance, The Vibe Of Midnights Is Contemplative Even When Beats Are Insistent, As They Are On Occasion. Despite These Fleeting Moments Of Urgency, The Record Is Clearly A Soundtrack To Be Played In The Wee Hours Of The Morning. In That Sense, Midnights Is A Kindred Spirit To Folklore And Evermore, The Twin 2020 Albums Swift Released During The Height Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Yet Those Records Felt Like Collections Of Short Stories Where These Songs -- Whether In Their Standard 13-Song Variation Or The Lengthy "3 Am Edition" Which Runs An Additional Seven Tracks -- All Feel Like Confessions, Even If They Display The Sense Of Exacting Lyrical Detail She's Honed Since Lover. These Compositions Provide A Sturdy Foundation On A Record That Wants To Capture The Aimless Suspension Of Late-Night Insomnia, A Time Filled With Regret, Recriminations, And Resignations. Swift Spikes This Moodiness With Hints Of Steeliness -- Witness The Cool Swagger Of "Vigilante Shit" -- But That's Merely An Accent On An Album Designed To Deliver Variations On One Specific Mood. Although This Monochromatic Palette Tends To Highlight The Limits Of Co-Producer Jack Antonoff's Bag Of Tricks -- Nothing Here Feels Surprising, Even When He's Playing With Textures And Teasing Out The Music's Dream Pop Elements -- The Narrow Focus Is The Main Attribute Of Midnights, As It Plays To Swift's Sense Of Control And Craft: She May Be Singing About Messy Emotions But She Sculpts Those Tangled Feelings Into Shimmering, Resonant Songs." AMG Review By Stephen Thomas Erelwine.