Midas Fall - The Menagerie Inside

British quartet Midas Fall scratches my shoegazing itch like a custom-made, ivory-handled apparatus.UK-based quartet Midas Fall is grounded in that classic alternative/shoegaze sound that is quintessentially British. Trebly guitar textures are the stock in trade, processed with that trademark lush, liquid chorus that makes for a perfect canvas on which the singer's melancholic voice can trace her pains. In this case we're talking about Elizabeth Heaton, whose heartfelt wailing give the music its soul.

Speaking of Heaton, one of my favorite aspects of this album is that along with guitarist Rowan Burn, we are presented with a wholly female voice in terms of the guitarwork. Strangely you don't get a lot of that in the genre despite the deeply personal sound of the music, and I'm always fascinated with just how the layers of sound and texture are worked out where atmosphere is almost as much a member of the band as the actual players. It's easy to put too much into it and create a cacophanous melange that takes away from the delicacy of the lyrical content. And that aforementioned texture plays out perfectly on tracks like Afterthought through Burns' deft use of harmonics, feedback, delay, and arpeggiated melodies. Considering that the album was recorded live in the studio, I have to believe their live shows must be amazing to witness.

The Bottom Line: Fans of the whole alternative/shoegaze sound will likely revel in the beautiful, British somberness of Midas Fall, whose female-scripted guitar textures keep the listener floating on soft, gray clouds of introspection.

- Genghis is liking this album more with every subsequent listen...