Roscoe, Young Bride, Head Home - these tracks are great. I wish that the rest of the record maintained that level. The rest of the record? Try to imagine if, instead of a greatest hits collection, Rhino released a Most Mediocre compilation of songs by America. No Ventura Highway or Tin Man, etc. Just a bunch of songs more along the lines of Don't Cross The River. I'd definitely recommend getting your hands on CD-quality versions of the best tracks, but most of the remaining songs are throw-aways or background music, at best, and utterly boring and unengaging at worst.

After hearing a number of tracks from "The Trials of Van Occupanther," my interest was piqued by how Midlake used lush harmonies, crisp production, and interesting counterpoints from the interplay of strings, voices, violin, keyboards, woodwinds, acoustic and electric guitars, drums, and the odd bits of percussion. Quite a few folks invoke comparisons to Fleetwood Mac's mid-70s line up with Buckingham and Nicks, but I think the better comparison is with the "Future Games" and "Bare Trees" albums featuring Danny Kirwan and Bob Welch. (It's hard not to think of Kirwan when listening to Head Home.)

All of this melding works well on tracks such as Roscoe, Head Home, Young Bride, and the title track but towards the end of the CD, I start growing restless, as tracks such as It Covers the Hillside or Chasing Dear lack any surprises or development from what has gone before. Some suggest this recording is a concept album, and it may well be, but I'm not sure I can follow the threads and connections. Regardless, this is a compelling recording, full of fleeting glimpses, unfulfilled longing, and stray adventures.

Beautiful music plus interesting, endearing and rather poignant lyrics = an album you'll probably return to over and over again in years to come.
I've read comparisons (in music magazines) with the likes of America, Crosby Stills & Nash, and Neil Young. Well, it definitely could've been recorded in the 70's, and if that had been the case, it would most likely be considered a minor cult classic today.

I happened to go during the interval of the Nyon Paleo Music Festival in Switzerland across to the second tent to see who was playing. This is how I discovered this little known group from Texas with a gorgeous sound and great harmonies, Midlake. "The Trials of Van Occupanther" is a very pleasant soft rock album, interesting and relaxing at the same time. I look forward to their next release.

I bought Trials of Van Occupanther and found it, initially, to be too slickly produced for my tastes, and fairly unengaging. Then, a few months later, I returned to it and this time its hooks sunk in...deep. What I found a was a rich, rewarding concept album with just the right blend of ear candy and melancholy. I think it is a shame that so many people write this off as a Fleetwood Mac rip off, because while there may be a few aural similarities, these guys are on a totally different planet, and one I'd like to join them on.