The Midway State – Paris or India

Having just come from reviewing a collection of forgettable radio tunes from UK pop/rock export Young Guns, diving into Collingwood, Ontario’s The Midway State’s latest full length, Paris Or India, felt like wiping the sleep from my eyes after snoozing through a lecture on the history of the dewy decimal system.  With both album’s side-by-side on my playlist, the contrast in maturity was immediate and accentuated the value – or lack there of – offered by the Canadian quartet.

I’m not normally one to offer praise for bands drawing comparisons with Coldplay or U2, but The Midway State seems to draw that influence without losing their own sense of direction.  Plenty of low-key tempo floats in with a sense of active ambience.  Songs like “Atlantic” feel down to earth and organic while asserting a stadium filling lightshow grandeur.  Nathan Ferraro ’s voice takes a nod from modernDépêche Mode inspired acts like White Lies but skirts the dreary overtones.  In an example binding everything together, the guitars on songs like “Fire!” earn the track’s exclamation mark, ringing out with an alert confidence echoed in the chorus’s violin and backing vocal supports.

As with most acts in the genre, the album isn’t without its lulls.  Opener “Alive” lacks the liveliness of subsequent tracks – the constant subdued verse feeling more like a missed opportunity than the emotive exploration intended.  Compared with the quirky soundboard additions in comparable numbers like “All New,” the band doesn’t offer much of a reason to return to anything lesser.  It should also be noted that the album fades out without much of a conclusion.  “St. Paul And The Wolf” fades away more safely than offering a decisive farewell.  Sure, the chorus attempts a big, gang supported farewell, but struggles to make good on the payoff.

Overall though, The Midway State puts forth a solid case in their favour.  Paris Or India should find easy acceptance amongst fans of Coldplay without garnering complaints of plagiarism – even winning acknowledgement from planted skeptics.  And when contrasted with any of the forgettable ready-for-radio garbage out there, it’s easy to appreciate the maturity within.