A Night In November's A Mop on a Segway

Today, I’d like to introduce you to a new band called A Night in November (ANIN).  Originally from Leeds in Yorkshire, England, the band includes Gareth (singer/bass), Luis (screamer/guitar), and Costa (drums).  These cats are creating Pop Punk music that sounds the way Pop Punk is supposed to sound – we have the screams, the crying guitars, the distorted guitars, and fast tempos.  And, a bonus to the music is the authentic choice the band chose to make. 

Out of the gate, the trio opted to keep their English accent when singing instead of taking on an American accent as other English bands have chosen to do; thus, we have an authentic UK band creating colorful music.  This plays so well into their choice of title for their second album – A Mop on a Segway since the title’s theme illustrates how staying true to yourself whilst discovering your place in society is the best approach to take in cementing your purpose. 

So, A Night in November has a personal fingerprint that keeps the spotlight on them constantly, because that English accent also makes the music memorable of The Beatles and Bowie.  

And, all this crazy mix of difference makes this Pop Punk trio so worth it! 

A Mop on a Segway feature five songs and two skits: 

  1.  Nation of Bells
  2.  I Suggest Feathertough (You Have Selected Powerdrive)
  3.  Segway (skit)
  4.  Saving Grace
  5.  Snake Oil Seller
  6.  Mop (skit)
  7. Time at the Bar

Each song on the album has angled lyrics that puts a spin on current stories making them trend-worthy tales. 

This is my review of the three singles. 

Nation of Bells” opens the album with driven guitars, cymbals, and noise!  The song’s narrative sings about how life and the people we surround ourselves with shapes our very existence without us even contributing to this existence.  The lyrics sing:It’s like I’m locked up, though I’m outside, and it’s hard to keep my voice on the inside.  Eyes wide open, pitch black staring back.  We’ve got your number.  Too many numbers, too many names, you’ll see, you can’t pressure me . . . And it’s not like I hate everything, but since you appeared you shot to the top of my list of things I can do without. When there's nowhere to go without a nation of bells making everything good like hell. I just wanted to cash out, throw in the towel before I even get to town, those self-indulgent arrogant voices I can hear them now, living in a nation of bellsBut the band turns a negative into a positive with splendid writing using metaphorical lyrics and ecstatic music.  The two minutes and 17 seconds mark presents a stuttered, righteous, guitar solo that easily brings the backbone to an ear-flirty track.  This upbeat cut builds layer by layer with classic Post Hardcore instrumentation providing a wonderful musical foundation that makes the song danceable and smokin!

One of the shortest songs in the collection is one of the deepest in thought – it’s “Saving Grace.”  The fourth song alludes to the contrasting emotions seen during pivotal moments in life.  The line where Gareth sings, “she was wearing all black on a summers day” was written perfectly as it gets your attention off the bat.  Descriptive lyrics pick up from the opening line and create a song that is playfully serious:  her tombstone smile could have chased the clouds away.  If my memory serves me correctly, who knows, who knows.  Saving Grace you've gone away.  He was sitting on top of the garage roof.  Planning out ways to make life future proof.  If my memory serves me correctly, who knows, who knows.  The quick riffs and powerful percussions make the track a favorite.  Clearly, ANIN know what they are doing inside of the studio and on the stage as this two minutes and 36 seconds track sets the mood and keeps you intrigued without any bells or whistles.  It’s a Pop Punk lament that will appeal to even the hardest of listeners.

And, “Time at the Bar” (radio edit) closes the album and is the perfect single to play when you are passing the drinks and telling your stories of how adulthood almost messed up your life.  Musically and lyrically, this song makes one think about that worn high school yearbook that was once shelved collecting dust.  That yearbook that has now become the centerpiece at your Friday night parties.  The contemplative lyrics paint this picture of memories past and show maturation taking a hold of life:  we listen to the same songs that we always will, and leaving this behinds a hard to swallow pill. You traded Punk rock, Dry Dock, for Netflix and chill, leaving this behind [is] a hard to swallow pill, yeah, leaving this behinds a hard to swallow pill . . . never knew we had it so good (times were good, times were good). Yeah, times were good when no man was left behind (times were good, times were good). No man left behind. And I’m not saying that I’m not happy for you. We were warriors, we were spartans (once upon a time) . . . we were kings, we were centurions (Bang! Bang! Bang!). And I’m not saying that I’m not happy for you.  It is like when your ride or die partner grows up and moves on and you are left with trippy, fun, memories.  The honest integrity the lead vocal evokes, combined with the conversational singing of the backing vocals and adlibs, serves up that every day, around the way, vibe.  While the catchy memorable melody line, bright acoustic guitars, and tambourines, evoke how just messing around and enjoying life is so RIGHTEOUS!  This is the track that will be played again and again.

A Mop on a Segway is creatively crazy and chaotic, and that is what the band wanted to get across to their fans – the idea that no matter how crazy and chaotic life may be, when one does not take life too seriously, and fun is brought into the mix, life has a way of balancing itself out.  In addition, when a person is transparent and comfortable in their own skin, that is infectious and breeds true friendships that are not counterfeit.  And, this is how one stays true to themselves while finding their place in society.  So this album works on so many levels.

What makes the message of the music resonate to the audience is the writing and playing of the band.  A Night in November plows into the choruses and have emotive lyrics.  The catchy chorus harmonies and loud rowdy riffs build such texture and personality that the songs are re-playable.  Also, the humor that is spun on the seriousness makes for a light listen that garners thought.

This album plays like a study in contrast because none of the song titles allude to the actual song architecture – for example, you know when you read the title “Fire to the Rain” by Adele you instantly assume the song’s going to be a torcher or that it is going to be a ballad in nature.  Right?  But with A Night in November, they keep the element of surprise by producing an album of contrasting elements which is welcomingly refreshing.

They are the new generation of Pop Punk / Post Hardcore and they are bringing the guns, the roses, and the noise.  Simply fab!  This album will be tattooed to your brain!

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