Midnight Flowers

An appropriately after-hours mood pervades Midnight Flowers, The Dig’s ominously appealing sophomore album. The Brooklyn indie rock quartet favors insinuation over aggression on this song collection, building the tracks around stark guitar lines and simmering percussion. Singer/guitarist David Baldwin veers from a dry, hushed tenor to an unnerving falsetto as he tempers free-floating angst with a hint of menace. What makes this combustible mix work is The Dig’s gift for simple yet expansive melodies that carry the suggestive power of a film noir soundtrack. The nervously soulful “All Tied Up” and the darkly atmospheric “Glass Horse” display a keen sense of texture and mood. Baldwin and his cohorts aren’t afraid to make noise, as the squealing guitars on “Black Water” and the propulsive rhythm of “Hole in My Heart” show. More typical are the faux-mellowness of “I Already Forgot Everything You Said” and the softly disquieting mood of “Animal Screams.” “Break the Silence” closes Midnight Flowers by confronting despair head-on with unexpected bravery.