Feature Photo By: Lily Eberly – ‘Hourglass’ plays on a car stereo. The song displays Carson’s reality of going through time and not being able to go back.
Alternative rock band Set It Off’s new album, Midnight, came out Friday, February 1st. This being the band’s fourth studio album, they went back to their original alternative sound rather than the pop sound from their album Upside Down which came out in October of 2016.
The set date of the release was confirmed by the band on November 19, 2018, leaving fans to wait a few months — adding to the two years since the last album.
The album has 15 songs, being one of the longest albums they’ve put out. Before the full release, their song “Midnight Thoughts” was released on January 1st, 2019 to celebrate a whole new year.
The album cover features a woman’s hands portraying an hourglass while white, glittering sand falls from one hand into the other palm. On the woman’s right arm, there is a digital clock on her skin showing that the time is 12:00. The background is dark blue in a fade to black.
In an interview with Wall of Sound, Cody Carson — the lead singer of Set It Off — said, “It really does feel like an absolutely new era, we feel like a new band, but stronger than we have been before.”
At the end of 2017, Carson was in a deep depression; he contemplated quitting music – along with everything else. These songs from Midnight shadow Carson’s darkest moments and allow other people to relate, especially with the song Unopened Windows where he sings, “I’m sick of hearing that time always heals; try to tell that to my scars.”
“My favorite song off of the album was ‘Lonely Dance’. Ironic considering I love to perform in front of people all the time,” said sophomore Patience Clasen. “I loved the song…because it told a story of Cody Carson not wanting to go out and deal with people and he would rather be by himself, and honestly most people, including me, can agree to that.”
“Lonely Dance” is number 3 on the tracklist and the music video released on November 19, 2018. However, “Killer in the Mirror” was the first to come out in July of the same year, kicking off the new era.
“I like this album compared to the other albums because it has that modern feel with a touch of angst,” sophomore Maui Ward said. “Comparing to their Cinematics album, it’s a bit toned down but isn’t as pop as the Upside Down album. It has that classic Set It Off sound that perfectly blends in with modern alternative.”
The Wayfarers, Matt Appleton, and Skyler Acord have all been featured on individual songs for the album — collaborations are done with Set It Off often.
“It’s a positive song. I like the fact that it’s about ups and downs…a lot of music doesn’t go up and down, it’s either a sad song or a happy song. But this hits all things.” Christian Maddox, a window tint shop owner, said about ‘Happy All the Time’.
Set It Off’s new album has a song for everyone; it’s all new and catchy. There are fun songs as well as the sad ones, both of which some people can relate and experience a new sound.To view tour dates, merchandise, and more from Set It Off, click here.
