For one of the most acclaimed indie records of its era, the second LP by Denton, Texas’ Midlake has some seriously proggy credentials. A concept? Check. Esoteric-sounding title? Hell, yeah. Cover art mysterious and alluring enough to rival Hipgnosis’ oddest images? Check.
The Trials Of Van Occupanther doesn’t have any Mellotron or flugelhorn – but it does have autoharp, dulcimer and some gorgeous flute courtesy of the band’s then-frontman and chief songwriter, Tim Smith. Better yet it’s a world unto itself: a magical and mysterious place in which the listener can lose themselves.
