BELLA1261cd
18 March 2022
“A rich, involving album... What really appeals is the mood, which connects to the earthy traditions of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Fairport Convention and other seventies types who believed that the right kind of music could lead to a better tomorrow... This is timeless music, sophisticated and elegant.” The Times – 4 stars ****
“Layered, sophisticated and melodic.” MOJO – 4 stars ****
“Texan folk-rockers return in leaner, more dynamic form... For The Sake Of Bethel Woods secures Midlake’s future with small yet significant shifts, running clearer and on a newly energised course.” Uncut – 7/10
“This is a sublime and long-awaited return by the band from Texas, their strongest since The Trials Of Van Occupanther, as they mine a rich seam of psychedelic folk rock.” The Sun – 9/10
“A compelling song cycle woven around the location of Woodstock. A thoughtful, sonically dense return.” Shindig – 4 stars ****
“While 1970s-influenced folk rock is still their foundation, songs such as ‘Noble’ meander gracefully around sighing electronics and fractured guitars.” The Guardian
“Their fifth album is perhaps their most purely enjoyable. The album mulls over time, illness and innocence, while the sprits of Neil Young and Stephen Stills set the temperature. It’s especially elegant around its mid-section (Feast Of Carrion, Noble)” – Classic Rock – 8/10
“The playing is exhilarating – “Feast Of Carrion” sounds like Nursery Cryme-era Genesis meeting Crosby, Still & Nash, and the hi-life guitar figure on “Glistening” is fabulous. For those waiting for Van Occupanther II, For The Sake Of Bethel Woods comes pretty close.” PROG