JOHN GRANT led the pop band CZARS for several years, showing a ton of promise but ultimately falling into a disappointing mush rock haze. If Queen of Denmark is any indication, all Grant needed was the right collaborators. Paired with Denton, Texas-based psych/pop/prog weirdoes MIDLAKE, Grant creates the lush pop masterpiece we long suspected he had in him. Memorable melodies meet lyrics dripping with whimsy (“Chicken Bones,” “Sigourney Weaver”), heartbreak (“It’s Easier”), melancholy (“Where Dreams Go to Die”), romantic miasma (“Caramel”) and bitter humor (“Jesus Hates Faggots”), hitting the right balance every time. The singer/songwriter/pianist draws from multiple predecessors – RANDY NEWMAN, ELTON JOHN, HARRY NILSSON, EMITT RHODES, KURT WEILL – but ultimately sounds most like himself. Midlake provides sympathetic support, never overwhelming its guest with its distinctive sound, but still adding enough of its own personality to the mix to distinguish the record from the ones Grant made with the Czars. Excellent.
http://www.myspace.com/johnwilliamgrant
http://www.midlake.net
http://www.bellaunion.com
