Bamnan And Slivercork

I was very impressed with the two most recent albums by Midlake, so when I saw this older one in the bins of a local CD shop I snapped it up. Initially, I was quite disappointed, but like most of their songs, these had to grow on me before they truly clicked. There is a subtle, engaging quality to these tunes. Tranquil and atmospheric compositions shed layers of melody. I still don't think it's as strong an album as the two that followed, but if you enjoyed the other offerings from Midlake don't miss this one either.

Texas is to the music world, in the present tense, what Seattle was in the late 80's, New York in the late 70's and the U.K.throughout the 60's. In other words, there's an air of creativitiy that cannot be denied.Shearwater,Okkerhill, Centro-Matic, Mandarin, Lift To Experience and now Midlake, who's marvelous debut "Bamnan & Slivercork" offers listeners an opportunity to hear the band as they take off on this masterfull debut.Many folks will hear references throughout the disc, (Flaming Lips, Beatles, etc) and granted, these guys borrow from the past.But what they come up with is some of the most exciting stuff being offered in any era.Thank God for folks such as Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) and his U.K. label Bella Union for having the courage and foresight to recognise and sign these guys.Amazingly brilliant and inventive stuff for sure!

At the very beginning of "Bamnan and Slivercork," you'll probably be wondering what the raves are about. By the finale, you'll definitely know.Midlake quietly crept onto the scene with their debut album, which was completely recorded in their homes. It's a swirling, lo-fi wonderland that quietly strums and blips its way into enchanting melodies, always expanding into strange new territories -- they sound like the folkier cousin of the Flaming Lips and Grandaddy.It opens with a plaintive little voice, a warble of synth, and a soft guitar melody that thrums out into the open. "They cannot let it expand/they cannot let it expand... they cannot let it," Tim Smith murmurs, putting different emphasis every time he repeats the line. It's a sweet, slow song with little bubbles of synth.Then it kicks into the utterly enchanting "Balloon Maker," a horn-and-drums melody that always seems to be climbing towards a crescendo. It's the best song Wayne Coyne never made. It meanders quietly through different musical sounds -- twittering synth, lazy guitarpop, and chiming little marches.From there, Midlake explores different types of psychfolk. They do keyboard foot-stompers, lo-fi ballads with buzzing bass, Grandaddyish electro-ballads, fuzzy soundscapes, ominous pop melodies, swirling folk ballads, and some anguished little acoustic tunes. It all finishes up with the anguished sweeps of "Mr. Amateur."It's hard to believe that this band was originally a Herbie-Hancockish funk-jazz band. Even harder to believe that they generated all of this at home. But Midlake have not only managed it, but they're churning out some utterly brilliant and creative music, influenced by the best of indie-rock.While there are echoes of other bands, it doesn't take long for Midlake to establish their own sound. Buzzing lo-fi guitars and bass, muffled drumming, jazzy horns, and some very creative keyboard -- chimes, blips, buzzes, waves of sound and twists of wobbling synth. Rather than drowning out the simple melodies, this instrumentation only enhances it.Tim Smith obviously took his vocal cues from Mark Linkous, Jason Lytle and Wayne Coyne. He's a bit off-key, vaguely sleepy sounding, but very pleasant to the ear. And he has a knack for songwriting, with the dreamlike songs about men who make balloons, waiting for winter, and laser beams. Most of the songs seem to center on waiting for something astounding.Midlake's rough-edged little album is enchanting from beginning to end, and will only leave listeners hungry for their second album. Brilliant and illuminating.

At the very beginning of "Bamnan and Slivercork," you'll probably be wondering what the raves are about. By the finale, you'll definitely know.Midlake quietly crept onto the scene with their debut album, which was completely recorded in their homes. It's a swirling, lo-fi wonderland that quietly strums and blips its way into enchanting melodies, always expanding into strange new territories -- they sound like the folkier cousin of the Flaming Lips and Grandaddy.It opens with a plaintive little voice, a warble of synth, and a soft guitar melody that thrums out into the open. "They cannot let it expand/they cannot let it expand... they cannot let it," Tim Smith murmurs, putting different emphasis every time he repeats the line. It's a sweet, slow song with little bubbles of synth.Then it kicks into the utterly enchanting "Balloon Maker," a horn-and-drums melody that always seems to be climbing towards a crescendo. It's the best song Wayne Coyne never made. It meanders quietly through different musical sounds -- twittering synth, lazy guitarpop, and chiming little marches.From there, Midlake explores different types of psychfolk. They do keyboard foot-stompers, lo-fi ballads with buzzing bass, Grandaddyish electro-ballads, fuzzy soundscapes, ominous pop melodies, swirling folk ballads, and some anguished little acoustic tunes. It all finishes up with the anguished sweeps of "Mr. Amateur."It's hard to believe that this band was originally a Herbie-Hancockish funk-jazz band. Even harder to believe that they generated all of this at home. But Midlake have not only managed it, but they're churning out some utterly brilliant and creative music, influenced by the best of indie-rock.While there are echoes of other bands, it doesn't take long for Midlake to establish their own sound. Buzzing lo-fi guitars and bass, muffled drumming, jazzy horns, and some very creative keyboard -- chimes, blips, buzzes, waves of sound and twists of wobbling synth. Rather than drowning out the simple melodies, this instrumentation only enhances it.Tim Smith obviously took his vocal cues from Mark Linkous, Jason Lytle and Wayne Coyne. He's a bit off-key, vaguely sleepy sounding, but very pleasant to the ear. And he has a knack for songwriting, with the dreamlike songs about men who make balloons, waiting for winter, and laser beams. Most of the songs seem to center on waiting for something astounding.Midlake's rough-edged little album is enchanting from beginning to end, and will only leave listeners hungry for their second album. Brilliant and illuminating.