Song of the Day: Midnight Faces - Blue Haze

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “Blue Haze” by Midnight Faces from their 2016 self-released album, Heavenly Bodies.

Midnight Faces - Blue haze (MP3)L.A. duo-turned-trio Midnight Faces take their name from the 1926 silent film of the same title. At the time of the band's conception the group hadn't seen the movie, but they certainly did right to take inspiration from a film, as their sound is huge and cinematic. On Midnight Faces' newest release, Heavenly Bodies, they take atmospheric soundscapes and push them to the limit with driving bass lines and stepping drums. The result is nine tracks of addicting dream pop on caffeine. Offering two siren calls, lead track of the album and song of the day "Blue Haze," features a whirlwind of shimmering guitar lines that pierce through the base of fuzz and tempts you to take a high speed drive through the darkness of night. The vocals of Philip Stancil provide a calming presence in the face of sonic calamity, but they do nothing to quell the temptation of the song, as you can practically feel the wind through your hair as he belts out the last line of the chorus. Midnight Faces lives up to their name by providing music best suited for blurry late nights, and as they show on "Blue Haze," they are well worth staying up for.

Midnight Faces just played at KEXP and at the Crocodile this past Monday, but keep an eye on their website and Facebook page for more tour dates and announcements. In the meantime, check out their freshly released video for "Blue Haze" below.