At its best, Nite Nite recalls Siouxsie and the Banshees’ eerie grace and Blondie’s pop sensibilities. These moments are few on How to Touch the Moon. At their worst, well, they sound a lot like Dido.
Part of this problem comes from the production. Vocalist/guitarist Davis Chatfield does a really a good Debbie Harry impression, but just like Harry herself, those powerful pipes can be falter when not properly supported. I get that this record was self-released and all, but Andrija Tokic’s mix job here just doesn’t help the songs. Goth songs need atmosphere, but these tracks are too sterilized. At the same time, though, they don’t have the punch usually associated with clean production. The music is trapped in a weird midpoint production-wise.
Of course, Tokic can’t shoulder all the blame. The tunes themselves are a little lacking, a little repetitive and a little underwhelming. Yet there’s promise here. The best songs bear a Morrissey-esque bravado, like the maudlin “Hello, I’m Meloncholy.” Given time to grow, Nite Nite could pull out a really solid set of ethereal, moody dance music.
But that’s a big “what if.” As is, Nite Nite has yet to realize its potential. How to Touch the Moon isn’t particularly terrible, but it’s certainly not great. It’s just sort of… there.
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