Drakulas Midnight City LP

Midnight City opened with me thinking I had DRAKULAS figured out: another punk band raiding the ’80s, except instead of the gloomy synths of HOME FRONT, they went for the party end of the decade, closer to OINGO BOINGO’s nervous fun. The usual guitar, bass, and drums get a synth riding shotgun, along with the proto-punk and new wave touches you’d expect. But the deeper I got into the record, the more it sounded like the band a TV writer invents when the punks show up on Quincy, M.E., music meant to sound dangerous that comes off pretty polite to anyone who’s heard the real thing. That could well be on purpose. This Austin crew includes members of RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS and RISE AGAINST, folks who’ve put in decades on the road, and Midnight City sounds like a record that could easily reach past the punk crowd. There are some spicy tunes here, like “Head in the Clouds” and “Garbage Strike,” but the whole thing just wasn’t for me. Maybe I just don’t like fun. If FRANZ FERDINAND ever made your playlist, you’re probably the target audience, since both bands are knowingly retro and danceable. It’s the first record I’ve reviewed for MRR that I wanted to pass along to my friends who don’t like punk, and honestly, these guys have earned a shot at a bigger crowd if that’s the goal.

• Reviewer Jeff Cost
• Label Dirtnap / Wild Honey
• Issue MRR #521 • October 2026