Midlake - ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’ (Bella Union)
4/5
By: Matt Tomiak
Strange, woozy, bucolic, occasionally touching greatness: we'll have no talk of the sophomore slump where Midlake are concerned.
'The Trials of Van Occupanther', the Texan quintet's second album, positively oozes an enchanting mystique that both necessitates- and rewards- multiple listens. Blending Sufjan Stevens's enchanting sense of historical wonder, the collective catharsis of Arcade Fire, and the pastoral psychedelia of The Coral and Super Furry Animals, it succeeds in creating a world that both fascinates and unsettles.
Singer Tim Smith's eerie whine is strongly evocative of Thom Yorke's, never more apparent than on the title track, which is essentially Gorky's Zygotic Mynci covering 'Fake Plastic Trees'. But, goodness, there's no danger of anyone dismissing this as just another tired retread of 'The Bends.' Not with tracks like 'Bandits' and 'Young Bride' - indie pop loveliness that's just as off-kilter yet perhaps even more hook-laden than that of The Shins.
The languid 'Branches', meanwhile -somewhat akin to the protracted, lamentations to be found on Ryan Adams' latest album '29'- identifies Midlake's position as (admittedly unhurried) carriers of the slacker torch. 'We won't get married/cos she won't have me/ she wakes up awfully early these days' sighs a groggy-sounding Smith. So, sure, they may not be in any particular rush. But enjoying Midlake in their own good time should prove highly gratifying nonetheless.
Artists in this article: Midlake
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