Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther (2006) (1 Viewer)

Title: The Trials of Van Occupanther
Artist: Midlake
Genre: Rock
Released: 2006

Tracks:
1 - Roscoe - 4:49
2 - Bandits - 4:04
3 - Head Home - 5:46
4 - Van Occupanther - 3:16
5 - Young Bride - 4:57
6 - Branches - 5:03
7 - In This Camp - 5:44
8 - We Gathered in Spring - 3:33
9 - It Covers the Hillsides - 3:14
10 - Chasing After Deer - 2:42
11 - You Never Arrived - 1:40

Overview:
In 2006, Van Occupanther was hailed as an instant classic and over the course of the next year proved to be the band’s commercial breakthrough. While their debut, 2004’s Bamnan and Slivercork, had drawn acclaim alongside comparisons to Grandaddy and Radiohead, Midlake looked further afield and deeper within for the follow-up. Suffused with a romantic yearning for the simpler life progress leaves behind, this was a record pitched between 1871, 1971 and somewhere out of time: between Henry David Thoreau and Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush, between 1970s Laurel Canyon thinking and a longing for something more mysterious. Rich reserves of wistful melody, dreamy horns, rolling guitars and plaintive pianos reflect its elusive, idiosyncratic narratives: a couple long to be robbed by bandits so they can start anew, an outcast scientist ponders his pariah status, a woman chases a frisky deer, a river leads who knows where yet leaves you little choice but to follow…

Formed in the small town of Denton, with roots in the University of North Texas College of Music, Midlake attracted an early follower in Simon Raymonde, Bella Union Records owner and former Cocteau Twin. Raymonde fell in love with the band, and together they cultivated a relationship built on sharing Midlake’s music with the world. After the band’s debut became a favourite for many critics and fans, Midlake nurtured the desire to accomplish something even more unique. As Tim Smith, singer/songwriter for Midlake, said back then: “Compared to Bamnan and Slivercork, this album uses less keyboards in favour of acoustic guitar, piano, more vocals and electric guitar. The sound is something more related to ’70s folk-rock but not in a gimmicky way, hopefully. I have a great affinity for those bands from the ’70s, the music just seems to move me more. So when writing this album, of course those sounds came out in the music.”

Over 2006, audiences soon realised there was nothing “gimmicky” at work here. Famous admirers included Thom Yorke, Beck, The Flaming Lips, Paul Weller, James Dean Bradfield, St Vincent, actor/skateboarder Jason Lee and The Chemical Brothers; the latter gave Smith the vocal slot on “The Pills Won’t Help You Now”, the sadly stoical highlight from their 2007 album, We Are the Night. After Midlake’s 2006 touring schedule took them to an ever-growing fanbase, the music press awarded Van Occupanther high placings in end-of-year polls. Since then, their influence has perhaps been felt in the breakthrough of many a band or singer at one with the stuff of beards, bucolic yearning and blissful West Coast harmonies, from Fleet Foxes to Band of Horses, The Low Anthem, Jonathan Wilson, Matthew E White and beyond.

Not that Midlake stood still to lap up the praise: a band acutely attuned to nature’s shifts, they embraced change. In 2010, they ventured into darker psych-folk thickets for The Courage of Others and backed John Grant on his lustrously spiky breakthrough album, Queen of Denmark. When Tim Smith departed Midlake afterwards, guitarist/singer Eric Pulido stepped up to the lead vocal role for 2013’s freshly exploratory Antiphon. Since then, Pulido and various Midlake members have embarked on a new musical project with a cast of all-stars, including members of Grandaddy, Franz Ferdinand, Band of Horses and Travis.

All of this serves to reminds us what fertile seeds were sown with The Trials of Van Occupanther: a modern classic, made of vintage craft and timeless magic.
So here, did this album popularize the bearded lad in a lumberjack shirt playing folky music trope? A year before Bon Iver's Emma album, before that Fleet Foxes album and before Mumford got together. Was anyone else doing it a large enough level to sell out the Village before this?
 
So here, did this album popularize the bearded lad in a lumberjack shirt playing folky music trope? A year before Bon Iver's Emma album, before that Fleet Foxes album and before Mumford got together. Was anyone else doing it a large enough level to sell out the Village before this?

Do grandaddy count? In terms of lads drinking cans and having beards are they not years ahead of this?
 
So here, did this album popularize the bearded lad in a lumberjack shirt playing folky music trope? A year before Bon Iver's Emma album, before that Fleet Foxes album and before Mumford got together. Was anyone else doing it a large enough level to sell out the Village before this?
nah, all Midlake were responsible for was John Grant. Again, I try not to hold that against them.
 
Do grandaddy count? In terms of lads drinking cans and having beards are they not years ahead of this?
Hmm, I was certainly aware of them but in my mind they came across as... musicians with beards as opposed to, i dunno, cosplay lifestylers being authentic through the medium of sound. Like you could say Neutral Milk Hotel (who I wasn't aware of at the time but everyone else was) as well but they were identified with a specific scene so they couldn't pretend they emerged from the forest fully formed.
 
Hmm, I was certainly aware of them but in my mind they came across as... musicians with beards as opposed to, i dunno, cosplay lifestylers being authentic through the medium of sound. Like you could say Neutral Milk Hotel (who I wasn't aware of at the time but everyone else was) as well but they were identified with a specific scene so they couldn't pretend they emerged from the forest fully formed.

Yeah I think I get what you are saying - Like I'd put midlake and grandaddy in the proto era but I'm not sure I know the next era well enough.
 
ok (possibly prematurely) verdicting this.

I think its a really good album - my general obession with roscoe centres around the vocal and melodic intertwinings that are just sublime, pure alchemy stuff, everything compliments everything. I survived without the rest of the album for years. I could go full rick beato on it but i'm gonig to to cycle to work instead.

Teh album seems to float around the concept of settling down, obvs they are using white people 'finding' america as a foil for being a bunch of men becoming house-bounds. Head home-van occupanther-young bride to me is the best in album flow of things that bookend really really well.

I should probably be approaching it as vynils seeing its 44 mins long, its probably better with a slight break in the middle than going end to end. Side two a little more expansive feeling - which is interesting consideing all teh short songs are on that side. I thought head home was the best in album track and that has moved to young bride now which makes me wonder will this be a floating thing.

Anywhoo giving it a precautios 7.5/10 because I'm not sure if I'll bond with or grow away from side 2 over time.
 
Just finished listening to the album

Hans_Langseth.jpg
 
Last edited:
ok (possibly prematurely) verdicting this.
my general obession with roscoe centres around the vocal and melodic intertwinings that are just sublime, pure alchemy stuff, everything compliments everything.

Hopefully this doesn't make anyone too angry:

Roscoe reminds me of Fleetwood Mac. His vocals, that sort of chasing/driving beat, those little tight fills, rhythm guitar all overdrive-ey. Maybe not the intro, but from about 30 seconds in, I dunno man, Fleetwood Mac vibe.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Warning! This thread is more than 6 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

21 Day Calendar

Alasdair Roberts/Harry Gorski-Brown
The Cobblestone
77 King St N, Smithfield, Dublin, D07 TP22, Ireland

Support thumped.com

Support thumped.com and upgrade your account

Upgrade your account now to disable all ads...

Upgrade now

Latest threads

Latest Activity

Loading…
Back
Top