Midnight Rocker

''Midnight Rocker'' is a studio album by Jamaican singer-songwriter Horace Andy. It was released on 8 April 2022 through On-U Sound Records. It received universal acclaim from critics.

Background

For ''Midnight Rocker'', Horace Andy worked with producer Adrian Sherwood for the first time. It contains new versions of Andy's earlier songs, as well as new songs. It also includes a cover of Massive Attack's song " Safe from Harm".

A dub version of the album, titled ''Midnight Scorchers'', was later released in 2022.

Critical reception

Fred Thomas of AllMusic commented that "''Midnight Rocker'' benefits from thoughtful song selection and Sherwood's restrained but personality-heavy production, but at the center of it all is Andy's unmistakable voice." He added, "The quiet intensity, supernatural control, and disquieting character of his singing are all in full focus, adding mystery and longing to even the most benign lyric and making the highlights of ''Midnight Rocker'' rank among his best work." Bernie Brooks of ''The Quietus'' called the album "a worthy, maybe even essential, addition to both Horace Andy and Adrian Sherwood's massive catalogues." He added, "It's not perfect, but there's a strange vitality in its imperfection, and that energy, that vitality – whatever it is – is incredibly compelling." Ben Devlin of ''MusicOMH'' commented that "Horace Andy is clearly an artist not content to rest on his laurels, and with this album he strengthens his position as a bona fide reggae legend." Pat Carty of ''Hot Press'' stated, "If Andy has been ever so slightly been relegated to sideman status in the decades since ''Blue Lines'', ''Midnight Rocker'' puts him back out front, where he belongs."

Accolades

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

* Horace Andy – vocals
* Gaudi – steel guitar, piano, celesta, Rhodes piano, Hammond organ, Clavinet, synthesizer, backing vocals (5)
* Crucial Tony – rhythm guitar
* Prisoner – drums, programming
* Horseman – percussion
* Skip McDonald – lead guitar (1–3, 8, 10)
* George Oban – bass guitar (1, 4, 6–8)
* Alan Glen – mouth organ (1, 5, 9)
* Richard Doswell – saxophone (1, 6)
* Chris Petter – trombone (1, 6)
* Dave Fulwood – trumpet (1, 6)
* Dr. Pablo – melodica (2)
* Douglas Wimbish – bass guitar (2, 3)
* Ivan "Celloman" Hussey – cello (3, 7, 8), saxophone (10)
* Style Scott – drums (4, 5, 7)
* Adrian Sherwood – production
* Matthew Smyth – engineering, programming
* David McEwen – engineering, programming
* Frank Merritt – mastering
* Michael Moodie – photography
* Jaffa – layout

Charts

References

Further reading

*

External links

* {{Discogs master, 2583041

2022 albums
Albums produced by Adrian Sherwood
Horace Andy albums
On-U Sound Records albums