Album Review: Sauti Sol's 'Midnight Train'
Award-winning band Sauti Sol released their heavily anticipated album Midnight Train. The album's 13 songs take listeners on a journey of the trials and tribulations of life and making the most out of your situation. From establishing their own label, Sol Generation, to signing with Universal Records Africa, the past two years have been prolific for Sauti Sol and they’re definitely not slowing down. From Mwanzo to Midnight train, the band continues to age like fine wine.
The Midnight Train’s journey starts at the station with the “Intro” as Polycarp strums his guitar and the rest of the band joins in with a positive message of living life to the fullest and spreading your light. The album continues as “Midnight Train” plays, setting the scene for the journey that lies ahead. ”Midnight Train” is an upbeat, afro-pop song that talks about Sauti Sol’s journey thus far and how they will keep rocking until Zion.
Insecurity is something that everyone is or has gone through and has had an impact on everyone’s life in one way or another, Sauti Sol addresses this topic on ” Insecure”. Although centering the narrative around a young woman struggling with the demons of her insecurities, the song's overall message is that we all battle with our own insecurities and we should face them knowing that no one is perfect. The journey continues with “Feel My Love” which talks about a relationship filled with quarreling and misunderstanding. However, even through the arguing, their love has a way of showing up in the midst of all the conflict. The Midnight Train pick’s up the pace as Sauti Sol shares a positive message on “Brighter Days”. Sauti Sol are joined by the Soweto Gospel Choir and talk about hope for the future which couldn’t be more relatable in such times as these. As the band sings with a tone of certainty, the chorus from the Soweto Gospel Choir helps give the song a scene of unity, giving listeners a guarantee that there surely will be better days ahead.
“Nenda Lote” plays next as the band details a broken marriage and the challenges that come with it from the perspective of the man and the drama that his wife is putting him through. Sauti Sol passes this message on an upbeat, soulful tune as they describe how the man’s wife ended up involving Friends, parents, and social media as well as threatening her husband that he wouldn’t be able to contact his children.
As the Midnight train continues on its tracks one of the passengers named Suzanna receives a message.”Suzanna” talks about a young lady who’s gone astray and is being asked to come home. In the song, Suzanna is ridiculed for her love of sponsors (sugar daddies) and her lavish lifestyle choices. The song addresses a topic about the length that young men and women are willing to go to afford a luxurious lifestyle. The Midnight Train then makes a stop on “Set Me Free (interlude)”, a light, semi acapella tune on which the band expresses nostalgia from their childhood and reminisces on simpler times.
The Midnight Train continues its journey on the next track “My Everything” a passionate song encouraging listeners to recognize their worth and not settling for anything less than they deserve. “Wake Up” has a percussive track that gives you no choice but to get up and dance as Sauti Sol sets the mood crooning, “Are you willing? Are you ready?” The album gets more intimate as Sauti Sol talks about real-life situations that people are going through on “Sober”, the song then continues to talk about bad life decisions that have been made, and how the individual is going to change their ways. As each member of the ban;d sings a different part they tell a different story about regret in their life.
As the Midnight Train reaches its destination it leaves listeners with a club banger as Kaskazini, Bensoul, Nviiri, Xenia, Okello Max & Nairobi Horns Project join Sauti Sol on their track “Rhumba Japani.” Midnight Train concludes with “Disco Matanga” which features Sho Madjozi and Black Motion. The song gets listeners moving as the song starts and only picks up the tempo as the song leaves listeners with an upbeat ending.
Sauti Sol’s way of telling stories through their songs gives them a special way of connecting to their audience. The aspect of a meaningful message is one of the many things that Sauti Sol is known for and that’s not any different on this album. From “Insecure” to “Sober” Sauti Sol still shows the same passionate energy as earlier songs like “Awinja” and “Blue Uniform”. As Sauti Sol continues to spread their light to the world their songs will always find a way of touching my heart as well as the hearts of many listeners.
