There’s always nervousness when a member of an established band leaves, particularly if that person is generally viewed as the ‘front man’. So it was with trepidation that I approached the new offering from Midlake, their first since the momentous departure of Tim Smith 12 months ago.
To be fair, Eric Pulido had always seemed to have equal stage time whenever I’ve seen them live, and the whole band are so musically talented that I kind of guessed they’d be alright, but when their first action was to scrap the album they’d been working on with Smith for the past 2 years and replace it with one written and recorded over the subsequent six months I did wonder if they’d manage to survive.
After a few listens it’s clear that there was no need to worry. The new record is more open and accessible than ‘The Courage of Others’ – there’s a lightness of touch and a lot more variation on it than its predecessor, which as a result makes it a much more enjoyable listen.
While there may still be a few nods to Smith (the flute on ‘Aurora Gone’, the lyrics to ‘Provider’) this is the sound of a band working together on a fresh new start. The much-vaunted new ‘rock’ direction isn’t really in evidence, but what they have done is lift the oppressive madrigal feel and uncover melodies, harmonies and emotional warmth that wants to let you in and embraces you.
Highlights include the title track, and ‘The Old and the Young’, which sounded particularly good live at the Islington Assembly Hall last night and which I think will become an instant crowd favourite.
Overall the album proves the ‘if it don’t kill you, it just makes you stronger’ adage, and shows that Midlake still have a bright future ahead of them. If you haven’t seen them live you really should try and go, they are consistently one of the most polished and professional live bands I’ve ever seen. A new
9/11
@theDJCull
20th –
21st Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall
22nd
23rd
25th Bristol Anson Rooms
26th London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire