Genre: alt rock
This album from Midlake is hard to put a genre on, being such a twist of alternative/indie and classic rock. The dreamy, lilting vocals over the little guitar riffs and gradual, supporting bass is all slightly disorientating. The story-telling lyrics hint towards folk, the music towards rock, the vocal melodies towards chill-alt. Mixed up, huh?
I guess that leads me nicely towards this band’s roots… Formed by students at a music college in Texas (1999), these musicians were originally all jazz… This, their third album (from 2010) indicates this transition – with the mix of influences, I think bands develop more obviously. I also play some jazz and can totally understand some of the band members’ own comments – rock just isn’t as technically difficult, to write or play, as jazz is.
However, they pull it off in this album, to say the least – you can hear the musicianship that’s gone into it, despite being “rock”, whichever way you look at it. There’s no cliched structures or boring riffs – these guys have thought through the music every step of the way (and if they didn’t, all the better to them for being such fantastic, naturally talented musicians!). There’s no auto-tune here…
Listen to this if you like The National.
C x
