A response via sms to my article about bonnie ‘prince’ billy’s album – the letting go from the greatest musical influence in my life, a man by the name of chris ’spinal’ ormston, which went something along the lines of “i have new found respect for you ryan, you pretty much got that bonnie prince thing right.” Inspired a phonecall last night, which lead to several booze fuelled sms messages from Mr Ormston insisting that I pursued the musical talents of The Smiths.
After several booze flavoured beverages tonight, I replied tonight to these messages of Smiths propaganda by refusing to give any credibility to Mr Ormston until he acknowledged that the trials of van occupanther and sky blue sky are the influential albums of our generation.
In preperation for his response, I decided to remove the trials of van occupanther from it’s hallowed case, and gently lower it into the cradle which my computer would shortly consume and spin, in order to unlock the secrets of this amazing 5 inches of circular plastic.
The Trials of Van Occupanther is an album released by a band called Midlake.
I know absolutely nothing about Midlake’s pedigree, nor do I really care about Midlake’s pedigree. I firmly believe that they the purveyors of the finest modern musical experience that anyone born in 1984 or later can experience.
The first 30 seconds of this album consists of melodromatic electronic piano, leading into gripping rhythmic guitar prior to being joined by driving bass, percussion and melodic, uplifting vocals. The song is called Roscoe, and it built around a core of inspired lead, yet non-invasive guitar riffs, melodic & soulful, meaningful vocals occasional harmonies. The immediate response invoked by this song is a chill up the spine. It’s a haunting, yet calming, entirely new, yet familiar tale that paints audio pictures of horse and cart almost amish style times, a degree of simplicity in how life was lived, yet paying homage to the complexeties of human nature, and our interraction. Regardless of our circumstances and surroundings, however humble our surrounding aesthetics may be, the relationship between one human and another is undeniably the most complicated and impossible to understand things on this planet.
Track two greets us with the inspired echoes of gentle acoustic guitar and piano followed by gentle vocals asking us if we “wanted to be overrun by bandits” to hand over all of our things to start over new, perhaps for a simpler, yet better existance. It then breaks down into a gripping tale driven again by inspired, melodic-yet ballad like vocals and an uplifting bassline accompanied by an oboe. Detailed drum breakdowns lead into precise and cheerful elecrtic guitar solos before the haunting harmonies return.
Again we’re taken back to a simpler existance, haunted yet calmed, familiar but different. No matter which way you look at it, cold, yet warm, quiet, yet loud it is undeniably inspiring and captivating music. It’s unctuously textured and requires a precise attention to detail to capture all of it’s elements. I’ve been in love with this album for two years, would give it a good spin at the very least once a week and still discover something new each time.
Woodwind introduces track three before the familiar driving bassline and uplifting piano and percussion joins the party prior to the brilliant voice of tim smith, decidedly upbeat thistime around building into a brilliant guitar lead harmonies that take you far above where you find yourself sitting. A good minute or so into the track before you realise it’s serious, vocals stop and it builds into a brilliant chorus, breaking down again with amazing guitar and drums at halftime, only to build and breakdown again, it’s the epitome of good structure leading into a captivating second verse, undeniably gripping, repetetive harmonies leading into a dirty, upbeat guitar kinda-solo, prior to vocals coming back and once again grabbing you inbetween the tits and taking you for a brilliant journey through the 1860’s united states, thanks to chilling vocals. I think I’ll head home.This track is the best example of why this album captivates me. Go and google the lyrics. This song unashamedly features inspiration from the best bits of mike oldfield and joe satriani, with it’s epic guitar apearances and structure.
Van Occupanther greets us in the bronze medal position with a considerably calmer introduction than it’s silver and gold medal winning stablemates, the guitar taking a backseat to more prominent piano, and hints of woodwind, whilst the tempo still upbeat, the aura of the song is decidedly calmer. I’m unsure as to wether or not this is a good thing. Whilst this song exposes the diversity of midlake as a band, and adds variety to the album, the first two songs are in every sense of the word gripping – be it musically or lyrically they have this unavoidable magnetic attraction that seems to stick behind you like a shadow and not escape you. The appeal to track #3 “Van Occupanther” requires a little more attention to detail. After a couple of listens it’s undeniably there, and a fitting introduction to track #4 and the second single on the album, the epic Young Bride.
Super gentle spanish acoustic and miserable violin gallantly hold the fort in the first 30 seconds, gallantly attempting to hold off the invading FUCKING BRILLIANT drums prior to them running over the defenses, capturing the base, rescuing the princess, getting the powerup and winning the game!!…….. Until the vocals kick in and ask why my young bride’s shoulders are like that of a tired old woman, which is about when the thumping bass kicks in and we move into further questions about this young bride, accompanied by (again) inspired and uplifting bass guitar and percussion into breakdowns lead by haunting melodies. They’re followed by brilliant guitar work, which lead into the next breakdown. The musical structure of this song is absolutely superb, it is not at all dissimilar to that of good trance music, gentle initiation, into a buildup, plateau, decline, bottom plateau, into buildup again, rinse and repeat kinda thing. The miserable strings emphasise this like nothing else, yet the lyrics are brutal and modern, whilst clinging on to old-fashioned ideals. It’s a modern day masterpiece.
Placid piano and vocals finally offer a reprieve to the gripping and emotional popcorn musical effects of the first 6 tracks of this album prior to the bass again joining us for a mellow, melodic experience in Branches, which provides us with a fitting halfway point for the album. The lyrics again are brutal, and upfront, haunting in their honesty – yet beautiful in their delivery. Familiar piano chords (think a day in the life-beatles or yellow-coldplay) hold up the guitar and mellow percussion and melodic vocals to round out a comparatively non-eventful song. In the context of this album, I think it’s boring. But it’s like saying that a Lamborghini Diablo is slow when lined up to a formula one, superbike or top fuel dragster. Sure the Diablo is tame compared to the others I mentioned, but it offers decidedly more than the general public can legally handle. Perhaps thinking that the band are currently in the sheds, re-hyrdrating and downing an orange or two, prior to coming back out onto the field to obliterate the competition is appropriate.
Track #7,In this camp, greets us with woodwind, then promptly with gentle strumming, quiet vocals, gentle bass, subtle percussion and upfront piano, building into an enormously complex chorus driven all in the same direction from about 5 directions.. Crazy but true.. Imagine cars coming from about 5 directions, all merging into the same road, but doing it seamlessly, without slowing down, or crashing, all heading the same direction, and happy about it. Technically speaking, it defies logic, and probability. However, when you’re dealing with a group of cohesive, ingenious musicians, it seems to happen with relative ease – hell knows howmany takes this took in the recording studio, as i’m yet to see them live, my inner sceptic is giving very short odds on 1000+ takes.
Rhythmic acoustic introduces us to claims of a man being tired here on this hill, noone lives to be living 300 years, like the way it used to be. Wah-wah style keyboard hums along harmoniously with the gentle strumming of accoustic, prior to being joined by gentle bass and harmonies leading into chillout tempo percussion plateauing before the wah-wah rejoins us building into a stratospheric ambient drift-off into the clouds, before breaking to bring us back into quiet vocals over gentle strumming with drums only to build again after time to more airy-fairy spaced out wah-wahish organ to fade us out and into
Upbeat 1980’s rock bar style piano sets the scene for a side dish of bass guitar and treble percussion reminiscent of a sitcom of the era – I can’t pick which, you decide.. (My dog just farted and it is fucking revolting) the fusion breezes easily through the song, despite a few little guitar breakdowns, gentle harmonies without any rough edges adequately sum up this song. It’s certainly very ear-friendly.
Organic strumming introduces us to gently spoken whispers of i’m sorry that i missed you, before another gently plucked guitar joins us for a gentle harmony about chasing deer, leading into a piano driven chorus. The initial strumming provides the backbone of this gentle, folk inspired song. Whilst it’s quiet and calm, it’s still beautifully textured. Whilst invoking simple emotions, it’s not quite a simple sound. Tis a fitting penultimate track.
The tragic last two minutes of this album is bought about by gentle piano again, before the rest of the band chiming in for this sad encore of a track.
It’s a fucking fantastic three quarters of an hour. I cannot think of a better way to spend it. It’s provided me with 3/4 of an hour of brilliance, several times a week for the past two years. I have visions of it being an album worshipped by generations to follow, as far as I’m concerned, It’s faultless. A remarkable achievement. Brilliant, Soulful Vocals, Delivered with precision, authority, and heart through various means, over soulful and captivating music.
This album is a timeless gift. It’s something that goes well beyond the ordinary, whilst paying tribute to it’s roots and is set to be enjoyed by generations long after we’ve gone. Devour it now, buy it or listen to it at the clicky below.
I’ll get to Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky another time,
Oh and ps. I’m still waiting on a response spinal, you fucker.
Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupantther @ Last.FM
