Word: rocke
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...complexity of the acting in the film contrasts intriguingly with the story, which is sketched in bold, simple lines. The film speaks to the viewer on a visceral level. Its quiet moments are sublime, packed with unspoken emotion as Andi dances across vertical rock walls, Toni looks out at the dark mountains at night with an expression as inscrutable as the mountains themselves, and the piton hammers into the rock face with a defiant chink...
...their newest album, “The Courage of Others,” Texas band Midlake strays from the energetic alternative rock of previous releases towards a folk-inspired, pastoral sound. Lead vocalist and songwriter Tim Smith attempts to conjure a wintry atmosphere with delicate acoustic guitar and lyrics about cycles of death and rebirth. Unfortunately, while he does manage to capture a sense of stillness and bleakness, there is no suggestion of spring to come, and the gloomy minor key sustained throughout leaves the listener wanting to hibernate rather than go for a romp in the snow...
Midlake’s past albums, 2004’s “Bamnan and Slivercork” and 2006’s “The Trials of Van Occupanther,” had an indie rock aesthetic which featured traditional songwriting structure and driving beats. On “The Courage of Others” they move to a more folk-based sound, sacrificing the elements of their past for an emphasis on harmonies and atmospheric mood-creation. Unfortunately, these harmonies and moods aren’t sophisticated enough to consistently sustain interest...
...inclusion of a broader range of guest instruments contributes to the album’s effective new sound. Outside collaborators include Fimber Bravo, who plays steel pans on the title track, as well as drummers Charles Hayward of post-punk legends This Heat, and Leo Taylor of post-rock band The Invisible. The upbeat “Hand Me Down Your Love” is driven by a prominent piano line; however, it also includes a powerfully distorted refrain alongside its developed instrumentation and the pure simplicity of the vocals. This combination of disparate elements into a cohesive piece allows...
...into its trunk, the nearly three-foot-tall beast topped with a rectangular crown and two large spheres. "I was really the first one to come across it who understood that it was a Chumash motif," says Saint Onge, referring to the native people who painted similar designs on rock formations from San Luis Obispo south through Santa Barbara and into Malibu...