‘Following the Ghost,’ the debut album from London DIY four-piece Middleman, is out now via Evil Speaker Records, and the early verdict is emphatic. MOJO handed it 4 stars, Uncut called it “a homespun, rough-hewn debut,” and So Young declared that “our undivided attention should be with Middleman.” All three are correct.
9 tracks in 26 minutes. The math alone tells you something about the band’s approach. Rusted, wiry hooks, whipcrack drums, and Noah Alves’s scarred howl carry the record at a pace that never lets up, drawing from the taut assault of Mission of Burma, the raspy melodic charge of The Replacements, and the pioneering punk of The Wipers, with the more restrained, tender moments of Big Star and Neil Young rounding out the edges.
Latest single “Morning All The Time” is a re-recorded version of the first song written for the album, and the upgrade is audible. Alves explains: “The lead hits a lot harder, and it’s really got some texture between the guitar tracks but still enough space to breathe.” It’s one of the band’s live favorites, and this version makes clear why.
Middleman have been building toward this moment since forming as a three-piece in 2022 with their debut EP ‘Cut Out The Middleman.’ By 2024’s ‘John Dillinger Died for You’ EP, the buzz was considerable, backed by a BBC Radio 6 Music session for Marc Riley and tours with Powerplant and Island of Love. ‘Following the Ghost’ is the arrival that all of it was pointing toward.