Midlake: The Trials of Van Occupanther

Ok, I am coming out of semi-retirement (at least in the music-blogging world!) to write about what I think is one of the best albums of my lifetime.  Yes, I said it.  Neutral Milk Hotel, Arcade Fire, Midlake.  And I mean it.  Seriously. 

I listen to a LOT of new music.  It is like a drug to me.  I do whatever it takes to listen to new music and have spent WAY too much of my lifetime money on getting my addicted paws on it.  That's why a service like Rhapsody was like hooking up an intrevenious drug.  And, just like a crackhead, I get very frustrated and annoyed when the latest and greatest doesn't hit Rhapsody in a timely manner.  Granted, these days that doesn't happen as often as it used to. But, in this case, the Rhapsody listeners are experiencing a GREAT misservice by not being permitted to listen to this one.  I, of course, have no idea who to fault here, the record companies or Rhapsody (although, if I had my guess I'd pin it on the record comany, for sure).

But, whatever the case, I am telling you here and now to do whatever it takes to get your grubby little paws on this one.  Sure, I have no idea what your tastes are, but if you are reading this site and already consider me someone to be trusted musically, then stop what you are doing and immediately head to your nearest CD store and buy this one.  Hell, buy 10 copies of it and give it to all your friends.  I mean, crap, I'm even telling you to go out to damn iTunes and buy the sucker even though I hate everything Mr. Jobs is professing these days (although, he's a damn rich dude, so what do I know?).  Listen to this album no matter what it takes.

I bought this one as an import about a month and a half ago and I have not been able to make myself listen to anything else, which is a HUGE deal for me.  I think I must have listened to this one at LEAST 100 times so far, nearly consecutively, with my Tuesdays taking a little bit of my time listening to the new releases but Midlake winning in the end.  It has been a loooooooong time since an album has taken this much of my attention.

So, why?  Well, let me first tell you that I am not an avid fan of any of the music to which every other review of this album has referred.  Early Fleetwood Mac?  I was still in the womb!  Alan Parsons Project?  "Eye In the Sky" would come crashing to the ground compared to this. 

First and foremost, this album is 100% flawless in execution.  For a small-time band from Austin to pull off this kind of recording this early in their career is nothing short of miraculous.  Secondly, their musicality is unmatched today.  From songwriting, to harmonies, to the secondary melodies, this group truly has a gift.  From song to song, I continually find myself unable to push the stop or skip buttons.  Each one is entrancing and each one has a life of it's own.

It is difficult these days to make an album that shows any sort of influence on its sleeves.  Most of the time, you would be discounted as simply a poor replica of the original. But, for the first time as long as I can remember, here we have a group who not only pulls in some fantastic music from the past as their reference point, but they surpass it in sheer songwriting and execution.

I am not yet sure when I will finally stop listening to this one repeatedly.  But, I can tell you that I am about to head up to bed.  And every night when I go to sleep it is with my headphones on....

Tonight I just wonder which song I will finally doze off to... will be sad that I didn't hear the whole thing again.