I couldn’t help but imagine Midlake to be made up of bearded Shamanic woodland-dwellers with a healthy interest in the occult and animal spirits. It’s partly the monk-hoods the guys wear on the cover of the latest Midlake album The Courage of Others and partly the dark, brooding nature of their music.
So it came as a bit of a shock when they addressed the audience at the Roundhouse in their cheery Texan voice, thanking us profusely for our applause and support. I was expecting maybe the odd grumbled “thanks”. It almost broke the mystical ambience their music creates.
But then as soon as they play again, the mood returns. Midlake sound timeless, a trait I often cite as positive. And they delivered several close-your-eyes-and-take-it-in spine tingling moments. I tried to imagine I was in the aforementioned Shamanic woodland spiritual place and this was the soundtrack. You can clearly hear the influence of British folk. Good for them. And also – to my surprise – Radiohead in their more soaring sonic moments.
