There are bare trees on the cover, so with the loud thumping drums and raw guitar opening of ‘She Removes Her Spiral Hair’ you might be forgiven for thinking that electricity has finally come to the pioneer settlement that was the inspiration/concept for the wonderful Trials Of Van Occupanther. But no, this is a re-release of a late 2001 7-track debut EP from Midlake. I fell in love with Van Occupanther when it was the sole accompaniment to a 10 day drive around Norway last year. It’s lush gently rustic forms were the perfect soundtrack to the magnificent scenery that I was experiencing. I even grew a beard out of sympathy (didn’t have any glue for a papier mache mask though). That album had leapt out of me from nowhere, so I for one was genuinely interested in visiting the back catalogue.

The overriding impression is as if Midlake had barrelled up to a recording of Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes and announced “Tonight Matthew, we’re going to be Radiohead in their OK Computer period”. The meandering nasal delivery (a.k.a. emotive whine) of the megaphone-style vocals used practically throughout see Tim Smith sounding uncannily like Thom Yorke. Guitars are also decidedly fuzzy, drums in contrast are usually sharp, up front, and provide momentum. The bruising drama of the opener subsides to the more melodic, if mournful, electric piano based ‘Paper Gown’. ‘Excited But Not Enough’ ups the tempo again, driving towards a mid-song change of pace (again reminiscent of OK Computer). ‘I Lost My Bodyweight In The Forest’ is an archaic piano interlude that could accompany the villain tying the heroine to the railway tracks in an early silent movie. ‘Roller Skate (Farewell June)’ uses an electronica riff to keep the pot bubbling nicely with thrashing drums and vocals even more mumbled than usual. Only with the final ‘Golden Hour’ do we get a glimpse into the future – with a delicate (but still blurred) delivery, a drifting lo-fi waltz of a tune on gentle keys, some background harmonising, and lyrics that mention forestry.

This EP is overshadowed by that Radiohead comparison, but the lasting feeling is that these tracks aren’t to be dismissed as derivative. It’s enough praise to say that ‘Simple’ could hold its own if included on OK Computer. So, points lost for innovation/originality, but quality all the same. Maybe not essential, but enjoyable for sure, and if nicely priced as an EP, then good value for it’s duration and consistency.
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Links
Midlake [official site] [myspace]
Bella Union [official site] [competition]