Review / 200 Words Or Less
The Midwestern
The Midwestern

Rorschach (2007) — Scottie

The Midwestern – The Midwestern cover artwork
The Midwestern – The Midwestern — Rorschach, 2007

This is what happens when a band has yet to find its style. What we have here is some decent songwriting that comes off as underdeveloped. The track "Molsen Golden" starts as a respectable jam with enough intricacy and tempo changes to call back memories of The Cancer Conspiracy and the forefathers of the style, King Crimson. Halfway through the track, the song reverts to simple riffing, sounding more like an un-mastered demo waiting for the vocals to be added. This undecided style continues onto another track while the other two songs have sparse vocal parts. It almost seems that the band is trying to use the vocal melody as another instrument. If the disc contained more than four songs, we might have a clearer understanding of what the band's vision is, but based on this EP I'm thinking they may be asking the same question.

6.0 / 10 — Scottie • November 8, 2007

The Midwestern – The Midwestern cover artwork
The Midwestern – The Midwestern — Rorschach, 2007

Recently-posted album reviews

Nick Soulsby

Born of Struggle, Living in Hope: The Anarcho-Punk Lives of the Centro Ibérico (1971-1983)
PM Press (2026)

Living in Hope , as the subtitle suggests, is a punk-centric history of the Centro Ibérico, an anarcho-punk squat at 421 Harrow Road. It is also the first book-length treatment of the space, which was at the crossroads of far-right fascist violence, police surveillance, housing disputes, and the punk scene. Founded in 1970 by Spanish Civil War veteran Miguel García … Read more

Roky Erickson And The Aliens

The Evil One (deluxe edition)
Fire Records (2026)

I feel very fortunate to have seen Roky Erickson perform live at SXSW backed by Okkervil River in 2010 or 2011. Erickson passed away in 2019 at the age of 71. For those of you who aren’t already disciples, Roky Erickson was the lead vocalist of legendary Texas psych rockers 13th Floor Elevators. Recorded after the breakup of the Elevators … Read more

Mike D

Thank You
Capitol (2026)

Beastie Boys were a huge part of my transition from teenager into adulthood. An album for every stage of their growth musically matched the many chapters of my own personal development. Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D were like cherished friends for my earholes. The world mourned together when we lost Adam Yauch to cancer in 2012 and were heartbroken knowing … Read more