Dad Had The Eagles...

Midlake

(with St. Vincent)

Lee's Palace, Toronto

Monday 12 Feb 2007

I've come to accept the fact that I'm slowly becoming my father. The latest and most incriminating piece of evidence to support this supposition is my recent reverence for 70s-style folk pop. Popping up right when I was in the mood for it was Texas' Midlake, who (judging from their very different previous effort, the synth-y and kinda silly debut LP Bamnan & Silvercork) shared my sudden yearning for honey-sweet harmonies when crafting their warm and well-crafted sophomore disc, The Trials of Van Occupanther. Which may, in fact, be the greatest name bestowed on anything. Ever. Encouragingly, the album itself is stellar, one 2006's best. So imagine my excitement when I see that the art-school boys from Denton are finally rolling into town.

St.Vincent, a.k.a. solo performer Annie Clark, opened for Midlake on this leg of their tour. Listened to her songs online, sounded pretty cool and definitely unique. We made it out a little too late to catch her set, unfortunately. Mild inebriation and hilarious Internet videos are to blame for the tardiness. Very brief synopsis of her performance, coming from a friend of a friend (thanks Pete!) who watched the set: "It was kinda weird. Not really annoying, but ... you didn't miss much." Hmmm. My personal addendum: she is very cute in a big-glasses-and-crazy-80s-hair-and-makeup kind of way.

And then there was Midlake. The band took the stage as the video screen began displaying images of an outdoorsy and antiquated nature. First song sounded promising, blanketing the audience with shimmering waves of softly strummed guitars and quivering analogue keys. Nice. The band then launches into Roscoe (the juggernaut track from Van Occupanther, and the reason many of those present were in the audience in the first place, I expect), and... it sounded like grunge. Or something. It may have been the sound settings, and it could have had something to do with standing over by the wall, but Tim Smith's vocals sounded strained and rumbly; the much anticipated vocal harmonies were barely there in the mix when they were attempted (which was sadly not all that often). And my shoulders dropped an inch or so. The set played out in much the same way -- some tracks were quite good, some not so much, but never did they manage to approach the creamy tube-amp sound bestowed upon us by the album. Two tracks from Bamnan came off quite well, even providing a welcome respite from the Van Occupanther lineup, which the five-piece played in its entirety. All of this being said, however, the encore was worth the wait, as Midlake wisely chose to save heartfelt slow burner Branches for last.

A few conclusions from all of this. Having been suitably blown away by Grizzly Bear only a week earlier and in the same venue, the bar was set pretty high by my inner musical romantic. The key difference here is that GB is a group of undisputable musical talent and creativity, while Midlake is a crew of art school pals who create an aesthetic. There is a reason I refer to Van Occupanther as "well-crafted": this album is a portrait of the exploration of a new sound, and while it was admittedly created by a talented fivesome, it was difficult to leave this show without the feeling that this music is a meticulous creation of craftsmen -- rather than a stream of harmonious tonal warmth that the band simply channels from an alternate plane or a simpler time.

Best to look to Van Occupanther for its impressive studio polish and overall effect. And remember Midlake's parting words, repeating in the final strains of Branches: "It's hard for me, but I'm trying."

***

Look: it's the video for Roscoe!

Click here to purchase The Trials of Van Occupanther from Insound.