By: Lance Turner
Midas Fall | website | twitter | soundcloud |
Released on September 4, 2015 via Monotreme
Because of my lack of audible experience with Midas Fall, I went back and listened to all of their previously released material to better understand where they came from and how they’d reached their current musical timeline. All I’d known were a couple songs I’d come across. One could cite the obvious musical descriptions of Electronic or Post Rock. While I know that the The Menagerie Inside will certainly appeal to lovers of Post Rock who aren’t afraid of vocals, it should not be viewed that way. Overall, the music is very smart, and provoking introspect. The melodies are not what you would find in a typical song structure. When you think the arrangement is going in one direction it immediately goes the opposite. Don’t think experimental, or weird and abstract. Just different. The use of piano, synths, crunchy distortion, delay pedals, and strings all work in perfect harmony. The drums and bass are able to create a rhythm like the ebb and flow of the sea. Achieving a background atmosphere regardless of wherever else the song is going.
Midas Fall’s lyrics are quite heavy and deeply rooted in metaphor. With love seeming to be the primary theme. Or should I say the writhing emotional pain that ensues from being hurt by those you love the most. Elizabeth Heaton’s voice is devastatingly haunting. Her tone is that of someone who is tortured but innately required to release that which plagues her heart. Upon first hearing of her voice I am immediately harkened back to the songstresses that helped to shape my tastes during my socially formative years. Tori Amos, Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), early Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant, and Angie Hart (Frente) to name a few. Heaton’s command over her “chords” is immense. She harbors such power and angst while still able to deliver tenderness when the song requires it.
For those who are familiar with Midas Fall, The Menagerie Inside will not disappoint. For those who are not, give them a listen. Sit down, plug in, and be prepared for an onslaught on your emotions. Both musically and lyrically.
