Midlake
ABC 1, 9th April
Last Monday Texan indie five-piece Midlake came roaring into town, and having already been bumped up from Oran Mor to the ABC, I could tell that the crowd would be teaming with eager fans. Starting off the show with a fair amount from their latest album, The Trials of Van Occupanter, the band indicated an obvious fondness for 70’s folk music not only in their musical style but also in the abundance of facial hair that adorned all of their faces. Whilst the new album is packed with juicy harmonies, its focus on piano and acoustic guitar over the band’s earlier emphasis on keyboards ultimately left me a bit unsatisfied. My ears really perked up however, when singer and songwriter Tim Smith declared that they were going to play some of the older stuff. The more up-beat percussion sound was far more my cup of tea, especially stand out track ‘Balloon Maker’, which was very reminiscent of both The Polyphonic Spree and The Flaming Lips. The rest of the show incorporated a nice mix of old and new tunes, and at the end they treated us to a new song that they hadn’t even completed yet! Altogether it was an evening that exercised little strain on the ears, and it’s safe to say that the whole crowd left feeling wholly relaxed.
www.midlake.net
www.midlake.net
> Alison Rose
