Middleman

Reviews

Middleman John Dillinger Died for You cassette

MIDDLEMAN keeps the music loose and dulcet, though not without some sharper edges. “Falls Apart” begins with a jangle and then a memorable chorus, but could just have easily proceeded into sonically harsher territory. The guitars have a particularly light, haphazard quality I associate with bands emerging from or in the orbit of the ’80s UK punk scene. It should please both genre aficionados and newcomers alike. The breezy presentation of often morose tunes gives this tape a weirdly whimsical feel.

Middleman Cut Out the Middleman cassette

A solid EP from London’s MIDDLEMAN, with four tracks of post-punk heavily influenced by the likes of WIPERS, MISSION OF BURMA, and the REPLACEMENTS. Opener “Train Man” suggests a straightforward, prickly CBGB punk sound, before switching tempo around the one-minute mark to reveal a style closer to early DC emo. “Entropy” pulls the same trick; a straightforward punk track in the vein of WIRE that hits the breaks after a minute and a half to reveal a slowed-down finish that’s hard not to nod along to. Really cool stuff that must sound great live.