Midlake’s Antiphon is an excellent title as a single descriptor of the sound the band creates. It has a Gregorian chant-esqe mesmerizing sound throughout the album and bursts with spiritual undertones.
After lead singer Tim Smith left the band while recording last year, guitarist Eric Pulido took over vocals. Luckily, Pulido succeeds in taking over the calm-yet-intense lead in Antiphon. “Provider,” the captivating second track, allows him to hypnotize his audience. The lyrics seem to trickle down the stream of instrumentals, never coming to a climax but continuously looping back to the repetitive chorus. The track is followed by “The Old and the Young,” a rhythmic piece with a strong baseline that stands out as one of the best tracks on the album. The instrumental piece “Vale” does a good job of pointing out Midlake’s ability to use unconventional instruments and synthesizers while still remaining quintessentially a rock band.
The opening songs prove to be the only outstanding part of Antiphon. The B-side of the album drones on with sleepy and hypnotic tracks, which I found difficult to stay awake through. Apart from a reprise of “Provider” as the closing song, the second half of the album sounds like one long, lazy attempt to finish a record. The vocals are mostly monotone and the instrumentals, though perfectly enjoyable, all sound basically the same.
Overall, the album is a pretty good return for Midlake, after a change in lead singer and thus a change in the band’s environment entirely. They’ve remained Midlake in their general attitude, but with a slight modification in direction caused by new leadership—necessary to prove they can prevail following a disruption in the growth of the band as a whole.
Rating:C+
