Bella Union Records
February 1st, 2010
Ok I'll have to be honest here. I've never listened to Midlake prior to this album. I have no idea what the other albums sound like and apparently each one sounds different. This is a good thing then, because I really dig this album and it doesn't really doesn't matter what preceded it.
The Courage of Others has a great folky/pagan vibe to it, with just a twist of fuckin' Sabbath's 1st album. Espers were the first band that popped into my head, and of course Pentangle with the whole folky-robed-pagan-nature shit. I feel like I should be smoking pot in a meadow in rural England somewhere circa 1969 when I listen to this. Which brings me to a point I want to make:
Honestly the criticism that bands are constantly reviving the sounds of the past instead embracing new trends is kind of weak. I mean this type of music was awesome 40 years ago and to dismiss it as unoriginal, even though the album is clearly well-played, well-sung and well-written, is an insult to it. Plus these are just influences. Midlake definitely took an old sound and made it their own.
I will say that the album is front-end heavy. The best songs, "Acts of Man", "Small Mountain", "Core of Nature" and "Rulers, Ruling All Things" are all in the first half of the album. The back-half is noticeably weaker and I think the last song is not a great send-off. A great album needs to be consistent, have a good opener and closer, and contain a couple peaks in the middle.
RIYL: Espers, Great Lake Swimmers, Pentangle, Donavan
Rating: 8.5
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