Middle Kids fully embrace their destiny as anthem-rock prodigies, powered by lead singer/songwriter Hannah Joy’s most personal set of lyrics and the benefits of working in a real studio for the first time.
Today We’re The Greatest delivers nostalgia and self-reflection, bundled with a sense of optimism that is realistic rather than sugar-coated.
Always a band that have been able to find the beauty in life, both bad and good, it’s this that Middle Kids have succeeded in distilling the essence of, bottling it across 12 tracks of sun kissed vulnerability and coming to the conclusion that life could be much, much worse.
This is a considered and accomplished album that sees Middle Kids truly step into their light, boasting a multitude of inspirations that unites in their best work yet.
Today We’re The Greatest is their most personal and courageous effort to date.
This is what Middle Kids do best. Big songs about big emotions. While the record may lag somewhat in the middle section, the band is closer than ever to honing their indie rock style to a razor’s edge, improving in most every aspect over their debut.
Today We're the Greatest finds hook-driven indie pop/rock trio Middle Kids in an openhearted and appreciative state of mind -- but not without reservations and deep introspection.
Today We're The Greatest boasts a gentler nature than Lost Friends, the spikier 2018 debut that accelerated the Sydney-based trio's rise to indie darling status.
It is an impressive record that wants to wrestle with those doubts: in an era where pop music is readily accusatory, Joy believes in discovery and leans towards affirmation.
Middle Kids haven't quite found a way to articulate their sudsy emotions with deft intention and control. But if you're looking for pristine pop that, admittedly, sounds really, really good, you can't go wrong with this pleasant diversion.
Almost every track musically can be likened to another band or artist: nowhere did I think ‘This is the Middle Kids sound’. This is a shame, because despite the unoriginality of the instrumentals there are some great examples of indie-pop songwriting here.
In conflating deliberation with maturity, ‘Today We’re the Greatest’ ends up feeling a little bit middle-of-the-road.
Although it’s a sunshine-soaked affair, dripping in syrupy sentimentality, the way that Middle Kids wrestle between indie rock, all-out pop and an almost overbearing pleasantness amounts to an experience that proves a little cloying.
Middle Kids have been through a lot in the last 3 years since their last album - 2018’s Lost Friends - with lead singer Hannah Joy and guitarist Tim Fitz having married and had their first child in that time. With those experiences, the band found themselves stepping back looking at the state of their changing lives and personal relationships, resulting in the band’s second album Today We’re The Greatest being a more emotionally direct piece. The album is a step up from the ... read more
I love music that builds. Songs that start in one place and end in another. Middle Kids are masters of mood and atmosphere in rock music. Hannah's voice is magic to me. I FEEL her words. Love this album.
Trying to make a gentler and more broadly appealing second album makes sense from a commercial perspective, but artistically this comes off as pretty hackneyed and bland to me. "I Don't Care" is a fun song though.
In 2021 I initially passed this one by as a generic indie rock album with some good singles, but after a couple of re-listens, this album is really catchy. The album flows from solemn and emotional guitar rock to poppy indie pop songs without much contrast. The run of songs from "Summer Hill" to "I Don't Care" is probably some of my most replayed songs this summer. Overall a really enjoyable listen for people with an itch for some good indie rock.
1 | Bad Neighbours 3:10 | |
2 | Cellophane (Brain) 3:30 | |
3 | R U 4 Me? 2:49 | |
4 | Questions 2:53 | |
5 | Lost in Los Angeles 3:48 | |
6 | Golden Star 3:43 | |
7 | Summer Hill 4:21 | |
8 | Some People Stay in Our Hearts Forever 3:06 | |
9 | Run with You 3:25 | |
10 | I Don’t Care 2:58 | |
11 | Stacking Chairs 3:08 | |
12 | Today We’re the Greatest 3:47 |
#8 | / | Double J |
#93 | / | Under the Radar |
/ | Junkee | |
/ | The Music |