• Glossary – How We Handle Our Midnights

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    Archive Posted On May 1, 2003
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    How We Handle Our Midnights, the debut disc of this soulful rock band from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, is an ambitious concept album, in that all ten tunes are about living, and wasting, in the American Heartland.

    While the lyrics are dense with drained passion, the melodies are propulsive. “These City Lights Shine” has pop hooks all over the place, with a big bass bottom, jangly guitars and tight harmonies, as well as mature lyrics that accomplish the aforementioned thematic premise.

    That goes for the rest of the tunes as well, particularly the Wallflowers-ish “Remember Me Tomorrow” and the soaring “The Rutherford County Line”. Singer-songwriter Joey Kneiser, inspired by the lack of inspiration, lays down touches of roots (jangly guitars and harmonica), a wee bit of alt.country (the occasional pedal steel) and lots of modern rock (the world-weary vocals). Bassist Bingham Barnes, guitarist Greg Jacks, guitarist/pianist Todd Beene and drummer Jason Manley (subsequently replaced by J.D. Reager) have their testosterone balanced by the calming influence of percussionist Kelly Smith’s haunting harmonies.

    Maybe one day Kneiser will cross that Rutherford County line and find something a little more boisterous to sing about.




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