Album Review: Middle Kids - Today We're The Greatest

There’s a lot to unpack in Middle Kids’ second studio album, Today We’re The Greatest. First and foremost, what they’re presenting is largely enjoyable, but arguably won’t click as well as the flooring and abstract debut, Lost Friends. This release stands alone as a brand new entity of creative whimsy and confident daring.

Middle Kids demonstrate a lot of stylistic growth on this release. You’ll appreciate how risky some of the creative decisions are, like the abundance of piano ballads (heard in the title track for example) and the addition of electronic flavours through Summer Hill and Run With You. The production is also incredible.

That sense of growth is heard within the band’s thematic values and performance too. Autobiographical stories – many of which centre around singer Hannah Joy’s experiences with her pregnancy – provide a sense of belonging and relatability when listening. It’s not got the universal tangibility of its predecessor, and instead Today We’re The Greatest resonates more closely to Middle Kids, but it does elicit a feeling of being less alone through highs and lows. That, carried by the now signature folk and synth pop stylings of the group and peppered by the aforementioned new experimental ideas, sees Middle Kids traverse the spectrum between new sonic and thematic discoveries with superb results.

This album reflects the palpable emotional growth of Middle Kids over the past three years, not just as musicians but as people, and the authenticity they embody in capturing their true selves on this album.