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Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther | Bella Union (BELLA117VNG) - main
Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther | Bella Union (BELLA117VNG) - 1Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther | Bella Union (BELLA117VNG) - 2Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther | Bella Union (BELLA117VNG) - 3Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther | Bella Union (BELLA117VNG) - 4

Midlake

The Trials Of Van Occupanther

Bella Union (BELLA117VNG)

1x Vinyl LP Album Reissue

Release date: Feb 18, 2022, UK

£17
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UK 2022 press. Reissue, Gold, 180g.
This is Midlake fully locked into their own strange pastoral world and absolutely nailing it. Folk rock that feels timeless without going full cosplay. Warm harmonies, patient songwriting and just enough weirdness to stop it drifting into beige territory. One of those records that quietly sneaks up on you and suddenly becomes a permanent fixture. Perfect for long listens, staring out windows and pretending you live somewhere with more trees than traffic. Proper class album. FFO Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver, Talk Talk (later years energy)

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£16

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UK 2022 press. 180g Gold Vinyl Edition.
Midlake are a relatively small indie band, so the level of ambition they display on The Trials of Van Occupanther is to be commended. From the opening track, "Roscoe", with it's laconic lyrics and slowly building chorus, they manage to recreate perfectly the sound of 1980s Fleetwood Mac, a band not known for thinking small. And though the rest of the album doesn't quite reach the heady heights of this opener, it's not for a lack of trying (particularly on "Head Home"). The remainder of The Trials of Van Occupanther is considerably more downbeat, with distant flutes complementing the vocal harmonies of songs like "Bandits" and "Branches". Where Midlake particularly excel, though, is when, like Grandaddy before them, they draw their inspiration from the classic rock that they seem to love so much, adapting and modernising it. So in addition to the anthemic "Roscoe", they evoke the Gram Parsons-era Byrds or even The Band on "Van Occupanther" and the road-ready "It Covers the Hillsides". The Trials of Van Occupanther is an album that's steeped in musical history, yet possessing an identity all it's own.

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A1

Roscoe

4:49

A2

Bandits

4:04

A3

Head Home

5:45

A4

Van Occupanther

3:15

A5

Young Bride

4:56

B6

Branches

5:02

B7

In This Camp

5:46

B8

We Gathered In Spring

3:33

B9

It Covers The Hillsides

3:14

B10

Chasing After Deer

2:42

B11

You Never Arrived

1:45