Midlake - “Bethel Woods”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 9; Popularity Index: 9

Pairs Well With…Fleet Foxes, The National, The War on Drugs

Nine years since their last record Antiphon, it was a pleasant surprise to hear of a new Midlake record on the way and the two preview tracks from For the Sake of Bethel Woods show the band picking right back where they left off. Bridging moody indie rock and lush Americana, “Meanwhile…” and “Bethel Woods” are dreamy offerings emboldened with psych-rock atmospherics. There’s a haunting, almost gothic nature to Midlake’s sound, their harmonies acting like echoed chants across tight, mid-tempo rhythms. I reside in Denton, Texas and am an admitted Midlake homer, but this sound really holds up and was missed for its rare indie-rock grandeur. (Kevin McStravick)

2013 Review: After breaking out with the minor hit “Roscoe” in 2006, Midlake followed up with the epic record The Courage of Others.  Filled with gothic folk harmonies and sweeping choruses, the whole album was a real revelation for me in 2010 of where this folk rock movement could go.  Anyone following the current folk rock landscape could see a lot of the same influences that Midlake has honed over the years, so it’ll be interesting to see what they have in store for 2013. The best part about Midlake is their feel, one of hypnotic forward vision mixed with traditional folk comfort.