Midlake
Roscoe

7/ 10 [Edit this Release]

Type: Single Release date: 31/07/2006

Artists:
Midlake »

Label:
Bella Union »

by Colin Roberts [Edit this content] ▾ 15 comments 10:35 July 31st, 2006

Your Rating:

This song could easily open a late 70s US situational drama, were it not for the gently affecting vocals of one Tim Smith, mutating what could easily end up in MOR hell into something a little more interesting.

'Roscoe' does still lack a lilt or two, though. Verse into chorus into verse and I still feel somewhat less than displaced, despite the haunting vocals and the sort of minor melodic twists that I generally die for.

That's not to say that this single lacks merit, far from it: 'Roscoe' oozes emotive lyrical calls and the choral coos of the refrain pull this song out of the background and leave it sitting out on the patio, drenched in rain.

Instrumentally, this song is like a MIDI example that you'd find with a school-orientated piece of music software, but when the vocal melodies open out over the top, it takes a life of its own.

Nowhere near perfect but most definitely worth investigating.

Midlake 7 / 10

Spotifriday #22 - This Week on DiS as a Spotify Playlist 30 Oct 16:05
Midlake to return with new album in 2010 27 Oct 14:59
Simon Raymonde of Bella Union's tribute to Rough Trade 28 Nov 11:33
Midlake man launches own coffee line 28 Apr 12:27
Midlake - Milkmaid Grand Army EP (Re-release) 26 Nov 18:09
Midlake - Milkmaid Grand Army EP (Re-release) 26 Nov 18:09
End Of The Road 2007: the DiS review 27 Sep 15:31
Midlake to release iTunes-only EP for US fans 28 Aug 13:50

Midlake

View profile

More Midlake

You should:

Tweet This or

Share on Facebook

Comments

- Post a new comment on this article

almost perfect,

definitely one of the songs of the year.

carrotrope | 31 Jul '06, 12:03 | X | Reply

Single of the damn year

No contest

rspce @carrotrope | 31 Jul '06, 12:47 | X | Reply

7?

A definite 10 if ever I heard one

Podge9 @rspce | 31 Jul '06, 13:24 | X | Reply

9 or 10

7 is bloody harsh considering you gave above that to other songs nowehere near as good as this.
This is probably the single of the year so far. Love it.

Jambo31 @Podge9 | 31 Jul '06, 14:25 | X | Reply

Only 7?!

You suck Colin.

grundylezimbra | 31 Jul '06, 16:23 | X | Reply

i do love this

8 or 9 for me.

it's a shame though, cos it totally overshadows the rest of the album.

Panic @grundylezimbra | 31 Jul '06, 16:49 | X | Reply

ace!

crackin tune - brilliant brilliant band! Their recent show at the Hanbury Ballroom will take quite some beating this year.

IF you dont own their first record yet then your urged to invest your pennies - its as good if not better than their latest!

ianc21 | 31 Jul '06, 17:57 | X | Reply

One of those singles

...where you'd buy the album purely on its merit. 7 is, as others have pointed out harsh. 'Roscoe' is emotive, original, deep with emotion and sincerity while entirely dry at the same time.

Indie_Jamie | 31 Jul '06, 20:12 | X | Reply

9 from me too

it's a brilliant tune. I love the middle bit where it goes 'what if my name had turned into something more productive like, Roscoe', it's the best bit of one of the best songs of the year. 7's way too low.

kovacs @Indie_Jamie | 31 Jul '06, 22:42 | X | Reply