Egos are set aside for the greater good. All provide great tunes – they write and sing two each – and they entertain rather than indulge in introspection.
Singers aside, we have those subtle harmonies drenching every song, sparkles of synth, strings and flute, and those sunrise drums lifting everything. It’s utterly gorgeous and the best bits of Midlake still shine through.
Despite their diversity, a mood is sustained through Midlake’s arrangements, which draw on fond ‘70s influences, from the glam-rock boogie of “Restart” to the sweeping yacht-rock sheen of “Unlikely Force”.
It's a remarkably coherent and listenable album that goes down very smooth, but not without the occasional moment of real emotion or foot-tapping fun.
It sounds very much like you would imagine music made by a mash-up of late ’90s-early-2000s indie groups might sound: meandering and nostalgic with a clean, crisp production that really showcases the instrumentals.
Given the variety of approaches employed within, just about everyone scrolling through these 11 tracks should find an addled anthem easy to love…even as the album itself remains frustratingly difficult to like.
The quality of the songwriting is uneven, and the real intrigue comes from hearing the likes of Kapranos and Lytle in decidedly unfamiliar territory.
BNQT have a knack for extracting elements from some notable bands to create a roiling and rumbling rock 'n' roll mixture, but the band seem more intent on rocking out and having a good time rather than impressing.
BNQT is not a push outside the comfort zone for those involved, but further indication of restlessness from a collection of indie rock lifers, each of whose primary acts made their dent in the blog-rock boom and find their relevance dimming.
This is the least inventive product you could have expected from a bunch of varyingly inventive songwriters. Which is to say, it’s not much good at all.
Restart - 80/100
Unlikely Force - 60/100
100 Million Miles - 90/100
Mind of a Man - 85/100
Hey Banana - 90/100
Real Love - 80/100
Failing At Feeling - 50/100
L.A. On My Mind - 75/100
Tara - 80/100
Fighting the World - 80/100
Average Rating:77/100
Overall Opinion: Supergroups can be fun! You can tell they had fun making this. The song 100 Million Miles and Mind of a Man are layered beautifully. I hear influences like: Iron Butterfly, The Beatles, America....