The Trials of Van Occupanther

Infobox Album |
Name = The Trials of Van Occupanther
Type = Album
Artist = Midlake


Released = July 25 2006
Recorded = 2005-2006
Genre = Folk rock Progressive Folk
Length = 44:51
Label = Bella Union
Producer = Tim Smith and Midlake
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hzfixqtdldde link]
* musicOMH.com (4/5) [http://www.musicomh.com/albums5/midlake_0606.htm link]
* "The Guardian" Rating|4|5 [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1792850,00.html link]
* Pitchfork Media 6.8 [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/37268/Midlake_The_Trials_of_Van_Occupanther link]
*Twisted Ear Rating|5|5 [http://www.twistedear.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=171&Itemid=31 link]
* A.V. Club (A-) [http://www.avclub.com/content/node/51038 link]
Last album = "Bamnan and Slivercork" (2004)
This album = "The Trials of Van Occupanther" (2006)
Next album =|

"The Trials of Van Occupanther" is the second album by Texas, United States rock band Midlake. It was released on 25 July 2006 on Bella Union Records. It is a suite of lush, heavily melodic songs laden with multi-part harmonies, given evocative lyrical imagery set in woodlands, boats and log cabins, telling oblique but moving tales of pioneering, travel and isolation. The sound of the album has been compared to classic '70s rock outfits such as Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills and Nash and America, but there is still a heavy reliance on analog synthesizers carried over from their first album "Bamnan and Slivercork". This concept album is rumored to be based on the Oregon Trail computer game Views needing attribution|date=June 2007.

Track listing

# "Roscoe" – 4:49
# "Bandits" – 4:04
# "Head Home" – 5:45
# "Van Occupanther" – 3:15
# "Young Bride" – 4:56
# "Branches" – 5:02
# "In This Camp" – 5:46
# "We Gathered in Spring" – 3:33
# "It Covers the Hillsides" – 3:14
# "Chasing After Deer" – 2:42
# "You Never Arrived" – 1:45

The EU edition contains 4 bonus tracks
*Mornings Will be Kind
*Marion
*It Covers The Hillsides (alt version)
*Paper Gown

The Australasian edition includes a bonus CD with the following tracklisting:-
#Mornings Will Be Kind (2005)
#Paper Gown (2001)
#It Covers The Hillsides (alt version) (2006)
#Excited But Not Enough (2001)
#Golden Hour (2001)

Personnel

* Tim Smith — vocals, piano, keyboard, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, flute
* Eric Pulido — electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
* Eric Nichelson — keyboards, piano, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar
* Paul Alexander — bass, double bass, electric guitar, keyboards, piano, bassoon
* McKenzie Smith — drums, percussion

Additional musicians

* Linda Salisbury — french horn on "Branches" and "Van Occupanther"
* Josh Ello — violin on "Young Bride"

Production notes

* Songs and lyrics by Tim Smith
* Produced by Tim Smith and Midlake
* Engineered and mixed by Paul Alexander and Midlake
* Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music
* Photos by Tim Smith
* Design and layout by Tim Carter and Midlake
* Recorded and mixed in Denton, TX

External links

* [http://www.gearwire.com/midlake.html video interview from 2006 SXSW -- they talk about recording Van Occupanther]
* [http://www.roxwel.com/player/midlakeyoungbrideartistcommentary.html "Young Bride" artist commentary]