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TAYLOR SUMMONS MOONLIT MAGIC WITH Insomnia never sounded so enchanting as in the moment Taylor Swift announced that her tenth album /Vi ig “13 sleepless nights scattered throughout dozen of songs represen rts would comprise a baker's [her] life,” as well as a “journey through terrors and sweet dreams.” Words Zoé Radas hile the influence of producer and co-writer Jack Antonoff (Lorde, Lana Del Rey - who guests here on Snow on the Beach) weighs heavy, Swift remains the queen of plucking out little moments of observational interaction — the kind which we all have lodged in the pleats of ‘our brains, and which pop into remembrance every now and again Midnights' tone is set in opener Lavender Haze (whose co-writers include one Zoé Kravitz), in which deep synths, licks of corrugated electronic detail and the heart- in-the-machine depth of Robyn permeate a pulmonary beat. "! feel the lavender haze creeping up on me,” Swift sings. Otherworldly harmonies, gulped scraps of sound, and effects warped and shivering build this gem, before slashes of lounge strings slide through its final bars. In the sparkling Midnight Rain, Swift recalls eschewing the picket-fenced perfection of a small-town romance ("He wanted it comfortable, | wanted that pain/ He wanted a bride, | was making my own way/ Chasing that fame"). The chorus lyrics are repeated in much lower pitch-shift, an effect Antonoff utilises in a few places across the album; it gives the feeling of looking down at your distorted reflection in a dark pool of undulating water. Vigilante Sh-t - the only track written solely visit stack.com.a by Swift - is a throwback to the Reputation era, which begins sparsely ominous until a third of the way through when pulsing synths and a tickering beat emerge, along with the tendril curls of John Hopkins-esque electronic smudges. The line “Don't get sad, get even” is delivered with the same melody-rhythm as “Oh my God, look at that face” (from Swift's 2014 smash Blank Space), but then carefully slants upwards, like a warning not to get too comfortable in our expectations Lyrically, Karma gives us Music Is my Hot Hot Sex by CSS vibes: “Karma is my boyfriend, karma is a god/ Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend/ Karma's a relaxing thought. Sweet like honey, karma is a cat purring in my lap ‘cos it loves me/ Flexing like a goddamn acrobat.” Towards the track's end, Swift's voice breaks into huge Loverera harmonies alongside twirling piano chords, and glinting, belllike synths. Stand-out Sweet Nothing was co-written by Swift and her partner of six years Joe Alwyn ~ credited here, as he was on her previous albums Folklore and Evermore, as William Bowery. It's a slow-burn grasp at the heart, allowing Swift's descriptions of domestic bliss ("You're in the kitchen humming/ All you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing”) to coo between electric piano and dabs of dual sax, Closer Mastermind is a masterclass in Swiftian sound and content. Cleanly scuttling synth arpeggios blink across its vista, joined by bows of synth and hints of thick cello. Its story is all about the well-laid plans and calculated manipulation the musician employs to ensnare her man ~ "I laid the groundwork, and then just like clockwork/The dominoes cascaded in a line... And now you're mine, it was all my design" — before she discovers that behind her paramour's gentle smirk, he could plainly see her blueprint all along. Elsewhere there are deft lyrics aplenty: “It's me, hil/ I'm the problem, it's me" from Anti-Hero, “He was doing lines, and crossing all of mine” from Vigilante Sh-t, “Now |'m all for you like Janet, can this thing be real, can it?” from Snow on the Beach, and “The rust that grew between telephones,” from Maroon. Midnights is a sophisticated, evocative, and thoughtfully-detailed effort from the musician, luminous like coloured lanterns in the dark. © ibhifi.com.au (i HIFFE
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