New Music Tuesday: Midnight Sister and Pearl Charles

Disco is alive and well with new releases from these Los Angeles ladies

How many times has disco died, and how many ways can it be presented?

With this week’s releases by Midnight Sister and Pearl Charles, there’s proof that the disco sound can be updated. Both are from Los Angeles, as Midnight Sister is more interested in giving the genre an avant-garde Sunset Boulevard feel, while Pearl Charles provides the sunnier Malibu vibes.

Midnight Sister’s Painting the Roses is the follow up to their 2017 debut with Juliana Giraffe and Ari Balouzian jumping genres throughout the album. Songs like “Sirens” and “Limousine” are the aforementioned disco numbers, including some fun horn parts. Other highlights include the opener “Doctor Says” with its Doors-esque piano progression, “Foxes,” a song that would make Marc Bolan and T.Rex proud, and “Satellite,” a track that proves that sometimes all you need is two chords to write a great song.

Rating: ✌️✌️✌️½ /5

Painting the Roses is available via Jagjaguar.

Pearl Charles’ Magic Mirror is also the follow up to her debut, Sleepless Dreamer. The record kicks off with “Only For Tonight,” a song straight out of the ABBA playbook, and “Imposter,” which sounds closer to the country disco of the early 80s.

Throughout the rest of the record, Charles channels many 70s California soft-rock influences, with “Sweet Sunshine Wine” being the record’s best track. Even starting with a Mick Fleetwood drum fill, it sounds like a lost Christine McVie track off Tusk.

Rating: ✌️✌️✌️½ /5

Magic Mirror is available via Kanine Records.

Both of the records are beautifully produced, and every instrument sounds warm and will bring a sense of nostalgia. They also both do too much genre-jumping, but with some more focus, I look forward to whatever Midnight Sister and Pearl Charles release next.

Are you a psychedelic wizard or a disco queen? Let me know in the comments!