No Certain Night or Morning

No Certain Night or Morning
Label: Defend Music
Length: LP
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: No Certain Night or Morning
The trick of blending electronic production with indie-pop sensibilities is one that requires the maker to avoid making their music so danceable that it lacks substance, yet not so introspective that it's joyless. Outfits like Psapp and the Postal Service provide examples of how to do that in a way that's experimental and unusual; New York-via-New Orleans duo Home Video go for a more accessible approach. With a lilting melodic approach contrasting with a generally dark tenor that's reminiscent of Pale Saints (of all bands), Home Video clearly didn't set out to make a disco record with No Certain Night. Yet their reliance on (rather simple) sequences and sampling techniques doesn't show a lot of concern for sonic innovation either. This staking-out of middle ground is No Certain Night's biggest disappointment; had this duo emphasized either a progressive electronic approach or a heightened pop sensibility, these 10 cuts would have been much more rewarding.