Mildlife – Automatic

Description

With Automatic, the band have made a step-change from their debut. Its more disciplined, directional and arguably more danceable. As on Phase, they are unafraid to let a track luxuriate in length without ever succumbing to self-indulgence. The arrangements, tightly structured thanks to Tom Shanahan (bass) and Jim Rindfleishs fatback drumming, permit space for the others to add spice to the stew, topped off with Kevin McDowells ethereal vocals as Mildlife effortlessly glide between live performance and studio songwriting. The recorded songs kind of become the new reference point for playing the songs live, says Kevin. They both have different outcomes and we make our decisions for each based on that, but theyre symbiotic and they both influence each other. Its usually a fairly natural flow from live to recorded back to live.

The centerpiece of Automatic is the title track where the band sound like Kraftwerk and Herbie Hancock on quarantined lockdown in Bob Moogs Trumansburg workshop. Its both a departure and quintessentially Mildlife. This is music you can dance to rather than dance music and its all the better for it. Bandcamp