Night Crickets: “A Free Society” (2022) CD Review

While Night Crickets is a new band, it is made up of musicians you likely already know – David J (the bass player from Bauhaus and Love And Rockets), Victor DeLorenzo (original drummer of Violent Femmes), and Darwin Meiners. You might know Darwin Meiners from his work on David J’s solo albums such as An Eclipse Of Ships and Vagabond Songs. And before coming together as Night Crickets, these three musicians collaborated on Darwin Meiners’ 2014 release, Souvenir. Night Crickets is a project that came about because of the pandemic, the musicians wanting to create something during the lockdown. And so the tracks on their debut release, A Free Society, were recorded remotely. Joining them on this release are Janet Schiff on cello, keyboards and backing vocals; Malachi DeLorenzo on drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and percussion; Jesse Catalino Montigo on alto saxophone; Julian Shah-Taylor on mellotron; Derek Doss on guitar; and Matt Meixner on keyboards; with spoken word by Marc Warren. This album features all original material, written by the three members of the band.

The disc gets off to a seriously cool start with “Black Leather On The Inside,” with instruments being added one at a time at the beginning, a really nice way of getting everything started. I particularly love that bass work, as a delicious groove is established. And check out that work on strings. The groove is given a chance to work its way into your brain and veins and muscles before the vocals come in, more than a minute into the track, the first lines delivered sort of as spoken word. “The ritual is the formula/Black leather on the inside/New York around the corner.” The line “Life is wearing thin” is repeated toward the end, becoming a strange mantra. What a fantastic opening. That is followed by “Candlestick Park,” an unusual song about the baseball park, which begins with lines about seeing The Beatles perform there in 1966. It also mentions violence on the streets in the area, and Richard Nixon throwing out the first pitch there in 1960 (when he was vice president). This track is oddly, unexpectedly pretty. Then “Amanda’s Mantra” is a delightfully strange tune, it too mentioning some famous real-life people, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. And actually the lyrics refer to a kiss between those two that apparently never happened, or at least was never photographed, but is instead an artistic manipulation of existing photographs. You’ve likely seen that image online. “She’s writing words of wisdom/For America and the world.” Suddenly a saxophone rises up from this city landscape, which is the perfect touch.

The album’s title track, “A Free Society,” has a catchy rhythm, and some exciting touches on keys. Most of the lyrics are delivered as spoken word, and there is a nod to Star Wars: “visiting from a galaxy far, far away.” This song also mentions the band itself in the line “And the dark watchers, los vigilantes oscuros/Are listening, listening, listening to/Night Crickets.” But the instrumental sections are the most appealing parts for me. That’s followed by “Roman A Clef,” another cool track. This album is just so good, with its own peculiar sound and bent. And as it goes on, it just gets better and better. This song’s first line, “I can tell the real story,” grabs you. “In a roman à clef/Change the names and faces/To keep those lawyers away.” There is something dark and dangerous and compelling here. Then “Soul Wave” has a slower, mesmerizing groove. I love that bass line. The vocal performance here reminds me a bit of some of John Lennon’s solo work at certain moments, such as on these lines: “Call me/Call my name/Tell me anything.”

The group then changes gears with “Little Did I,” which has a strong rhythm, one to get you moving. “I tried to talk, but I couldn’t speak/I tried to smell, and it wouldn’t work/I tried to walk, but I fell back down.” The line about not being able to smell of course brings to mind the pandemic. This is a fun track. That’s followed by “Sloe Song,” which seems to be all about mood. “There’s nowhere to hide you/There’s nowhere to hide.” Then we get “The Unreliable Narrator,” one of my personal favorites. I am on board from the opening moment when the track is introduced by simply speaking its title. And then that rhythm is great, as is the way the lyrics are delivered, as spoken word, but with something of a sneer in the tone. “The unreliable narrator/He has an axe to grind/And a cache of theories/The conspiratorial kind.” This track concludes with the lines, “The rabbit hole, it is so deep/And yet so shallow too/You can’t believe a word he says/So you’re foolish if you do.” Ah, there are so many people we could apply those words to. Who leaps to mind?

As “Down Below” begins, it does indeed feel like we are under the city somewhere, water dripping down near us. A kind of eerie atmosphere is established before the vocals come in. “Here I go/I’m going down below.” And we are all joining him. Then in “Return To The Garden Of Allah,” they tell us to “Take your place amongst the stars,” taking us in a different direction. That’s followed by “Sacred Monster,” which has a dark, delightful vibe, and is another of my favorite tracks. “Sulfate, stardust/Rehab, train wreck/Sacred monster.” And the line “Sinatra’s got nothing on you” makes me smile each time. The album concludes with “I Want My Night Crickets!” Yes, it’s the second song to refer to the band’s name, this time in the title. It is probably the album’s strangest song, a bit chaotic at first. It ends with the sound of crickets (presumably at night).

CD Track List

1. Black Leather On The Inside
2. Candlestick Park
3. Amanda’s Mantra
4. A Free Society
5. Roman A Clef
6. Soul Wave
7. Little Did I
8. Sloe Song
9. The Unreliable Narrator
10. Down Below
11. Return To The Garden Of Allah
12. Sacred Monster
13. I Want My Night Crickets!

A Free Society is scheduled to be released on CD on January 21, 2022 through Omnivore Recordings. A vinyl release will follow in the summer.