As I write, The Middle East are fresh off the back of a handful of January shows in native Australia opening for indie-folk heroes Grizzly Bear. A fellow Cougar scribe recounts an awkward performance from the Townsville outfit in support of Okkervil River last year in which the three-piece stumbled their way uncomfortably through a short set.
However, on the evidence of the 2009 EP ‘The Middle East’, a reworking of the 2007 album ‘The Recordings of The Middle East’, these Antipodeans are growing comfortable in the company of more acclaimed piers such as the aforementioned Grizzly Bear, Iron & Wine and Fleet Foxes. Complimenting the spacious songwriting this release is crafted with tasteful, minimalist production. The glockenspiels and sparse pianos on the standout track ‘Blood’ in particular refresh the palette and leave the listener thirsty for more.
Let’s hope The Middle East are growing more at ease in front of audiences as the stages seem set to only grow larger.
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Post by Kenny the friendly ghost.
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