It’s easy to see how this Edinburgh-formed band could win over fans from the post-rock scene.
The dynamic structure of the opener, Push, has echoes of their former labelmates 65daysofstatic, though with less chopping and changing of time signatures and perhaps a lower overall volume level. And if their approach is substantially less aggressive than other bands in the post-rock canon, then the most remarkable thing about Midas Fall is that they have vocals. Elizabeth Heaton’s voice is probably the most distinctive thing about them, presenting haunting and ethereal vocal lines somewhat in the vein of the Cocteau Twins’ Elizabeth Fraser, or Curve’s Toni Halliday. The album highlight is voice-led The Morning Asked And I Said No, which builds to a sweeping crescendo and features some of the best melodies on the record. Tramadol Baby, on the other hand, is the darkest, most guitar-focused cut on here, and so a welcome break from the rest of the tracks. Once the band have settled into their own sound there’s not that much variation on offer, but on its own terms The Menagerie Inside is an excellent record, and will no doubt delight fans both new and old.
