Midlake, although game to produce all-acoustic tracks for [World Cafe]'s broadcast, has opted not to perform its songs in the broadcast studio. Rather, it's pre-recording those efforts here in its Denton base. The tracks are pretty much already completed; today's recording session is simply to add back-up vocals and minor instrumentation to the tracks."We've just learned that there are some things we will and won't do," bassist Paul Alexander says.
Pulido backs that sentiment: "Sometimes, there's just a give and take, and we've learned over the years that, sometimes, things don't work out the way you want them to."
Well, last week, five of the songs recorded as part of that session ("Winter Dies," "Acts of Man," "Small Mountain," "Rulers, Ruling All Things," and "Van Occupanther") were made available as part of a free week-long download hosted by one of the band's biggest UK supporters, The Guardian. Again, though: That was last week.
And, luckily for anyone who didn't want to subscribe to The Guardian's promotional material in exchange for the downloads, now that the week is over, the band's gone ahead and posted the five songs, which, together, it's calling "The Denton Sessions," for free download on its own site. They're pretty damn good, too--no surprise there--what with the band flexing its impressively restrained live talent muscle on each of these songs. And thus, we highly recommend you fecthing 'em down. Get 'em here.
