Five guys from Texas make up the band Midlake. And? Well, their album "The Trials of Van Occupanther" gets our vote as one of the most underrated and overlooked of the year. It's the band's second full album -- the first had a more lo-fi, psych-pop sound. This one, with its 70's pop-folk (as it used to be called) flavor, may evoke Fleetwood Mac at moments, maybe Neil Young, even America. That's because it's resolutely melodic, imbued with gorgeous, multi-part harmonies. It tells a story, of sorts, that only begins to come into relief with repeated listenings: a man in a dark-woods isolation peering out on a disappointing world before coming to accept it. If it sounds too gloomy, it's not; there's joy here, too. The band starts a national tour in February. Details are on the website.
written on Friday Dec 29, 2006
Texas,
trials,
band.
