Review: Midlake – The Courage of Others
Upon first listen, The Courage of Others sounds like one luscious 41 minutes of beautiful harmonies and guitars melding seamlessly together. Although the album is a wonderful listen, it takes time to fully recognize and identify individual songs. However, as you listen more closely, you really begin to feel the emotion in Tim Smith’s vocals and the passion in the guitar playing. I have to warn you – this album is potentially a get-really-emotional-and-cry-for-no-reason album. The album is laced with late 60’s to early 70’s folk and traditional influences, ranging from Jethro Tull and Nick Drake to Fleetwood Mac.
A deep feeling of melancholy persists throughout the album, and in order to get the intensity up, the band amps up the emotion instead of the volume. “Children of the Grounds” is easily both one of the most emotional and upbeat songs on the album, making it worthy of repeated listens. Smith’s vocals will undoubtely pull at your heartstrings during the chorus. “Bring Down” sounds like a love song from another time long ago, with the combination of the guitar resembling to a lute and the surprising voice of a mysteriously beautiful sounding woman. These are only two highlights on an album of many.
The Courage of Others is an album that has a strong focus on vocals as well as naked and stripped down guitars. Rather than an accompaniment of orchestral strings, keyboards and studio trickery, the band uses the flute as accompaniment on many of the albums tracks. The bass has been toned down slightly, but is still bold enough to make a difference. Instead of creating climax through dynamic changes and focusing on certain instruments, the band uses heavy emotion that overpowers any need for dynamic climax. I wouldn’t go as far as to say The Courage of Others is a depressing album, but there are hints of uncertainty and despair for what’s coming next, whereas The Trials of Van Occupanther had a sense of hope and optimism for the future. In the end, this is one of the most moving, emotionally-driven albums I have heard in a long time. - Amelia Robitaille
Key Tracks: “Children of the Grounds” and “Rulers, Ruling All Things”
