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CD review: Midlake, “The Courage of Others”
Midlake
‘The Courage of Others’
(Bella Union)
Grade: B
It’s helpful to consider Denton folk rock band Midlake’s third album, “The Courage of Others,” through the prism of its immediate predecessor, 2006’s “The Trials of Van Occupanther.” That album — a cult favorite that got end-of-the-decade shoutouts from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and the Onion A.V. Club, among others — evoked endless comparison to the naturalistic ‘70s FM radio rock of America, Neil Young and, above all, Fleetwood Mac.
Though well reviewed at the time of its release, in the ensuing years “The Trials of Van Occupanther” continued to build its audience, as the slow-burning pleasures of its poetic lyricism and front man Tim Smith’s wispy vocals revealed themselves. Put simply, Midlake is a group whose strengths take time to unfold — which makes an initial judgment of “The Courage of Others” misleading, particularly since it’s an even more complex and layered album.
Which is not to say “The Courage of Others” is an inaccessible or vastly different work — but it does march away from the classic rock inspiration so prevalent on “Van Occupanther” in favor of a direction more heavily influenced by ‘60s British folk rock. If Fleetwood Mac was the go-to comparison on the last album, this time around it’s all Jethro Tull — or the Fairport Convention — with near omnipresent flutes and warm waves of harmonies. It’s a sound that’s enchanting, magical, often dour and — at least before it has time to grow on you — a bit repetitive.
Lead single and opener “Acts of Man” kicks the album off with sterling harmonies, subtle guitar and a contemplative pace. The acoustic, spare “Fortune” is at two minutes both the album’s quickest and quietest number. “Rulers, Ruling All Things” is equally stately, with building drums that give it a release that would feel underplayed on most albums, but is practically soaring here. “The Courage of Others” isn’t all flutes and meditation, though — on “Winter Dies” and “Small Mountain” there’s a touch of Neil Young-styled electric guitar that adds a welcome edge to the proceedings.
“The Courage of Others” grows more intriguing in its back half. “The Horn” is a little more rock ‘n’ roll and lays claim to some excellent drum fills, while the title track builds nicely and grows more interesting over time. And the album’s most enjoyable song, “Bring Down,” incorporates an excellent vocal turn from Stephanie Dosen.
“Now the joy has burned out,” Smith sings on the earnest, heartfelt tune. “And it’s gone but I don’t know where.”
At 42 minutes, “The Courage Of Others” comes a bit too close to overstaying its own welcome — there’s only so much winter imagery and thoughtful acoustics one can handle — but it’s a dense 42 minutes that only gets more interesting with each listen. It’s hard to follow up a success as unqualified as “The Trials of Van Occupanther,” but on this long-awaited album Midlake comes perhaps as close as could reasonably be expected.
If you want to give “The Courage of Others” a listen before you buy, WOXY and the Austinist will hold a listening party tomorrow, Tuesday Feb. 2, at the Scoot Inn at 8 p.m. The event is free.
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