Like a lot of Midlake fans, when news broke that lead singer and longtime bandmember Tim Smith had left the band, I was worried that the group’s sound and songs wouldn’t hold up.
After listening to the new album Antiphon, though, any worries are laid to rest. It’s a fantastic album with strong songs and a sound that shifts the band back toward a psychedelic sound — yet still retains the wonderful melodic structures and vocal harmonies that have long been identified with the band.
Seeing Midlake live, too, only brings this experience home — this is still very much the same band.
I caught up with them at Schuba’s in Chicago earlier this month (Dec. 8, 2013), and the set easily and organically mixed up material from all four of their albums. It didn’t matter whether it was the easy rock of their breakout album The Trials of Van Occupanther, the folk-influenced songs of 2010’s wonderfully brooding The Courage of Others, or the more psych flavors permeating Bamnan and Slivercork and Antiphon, the material all worked together. The guys play as strongly as ever, and their sound was again absolutely intact. I have much respect for Tim Smith, but it’s great to see that the Midlake I’ve known and loved is still going strong.
