Midland — Stages (Blue Highway Records)
Midland don’t do middling.
At least they didn’t… until the barely recognisable Barely Blue dropped in the autumn of 2024.
Midland’s first career misstep might have been a worthy attempt at something more mature. Maybe.
And the Dave Cobb-produced record did feature a few standout songs — none better than the dreamy Lucky Sometimes.
Problem was, they weren’t Midland songs, per se.
Not in the classic, retro-country, hard-working, hard-drinking style that die-hard early adopters of the Texan throwbacks had come to adore.
There are crises of confidence. And then there’s Barely Blue.
But Stages seeks to set the record straight.
It’s a straight-up, straight-talking, straight-shooting return to form, packed full of dancefloor fillers and bar room chillers.
Mark Wystrach’s a man on a mission. Cameron Duddy’s a delight. And Jess Carson’s just… classic Jess Carson.
You heard it here first: Midland’s got its mojo back.
Inspired by a decade-old journey that’s taken the talented trio from Texas to LA via Nashville and back, Stages is a striking comeback.
Timeless melodies and lived-in lyrics pace an album that frequently echoes relatable debut On The Rocks.
Stages is Midland doing what they do best. Right now there’s nobody better.
Drinking in Stages
Without beer, whiskey and tequila would there even be a Midland?
The doyens of the drinks industry lean so heavily on booze, it’s a miracle they ever stay standing.
And it should come as no surprise that the band that brought us Drinkin’ Problem celebrate their fifth studio album with a raft of new singalong tributes to liquor.
At least half of the songs here celebrate a tipple, loud and proud.
Whether that’s good or bad is a debate we’ll park for another day.
But wherever you stand on country music’s alcohol-heavy culture it’s impossible to deny that Midland are the kings of the drinking song.
Shooting Memories With Tequila, Glass Half Empty, Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey and Drunk Enough serve up an instant flavour of Stages’ recurrent theme.
And elsewhere there are plenty more references (direct and indirect) to a glass or two (or three).
Then there’s magical Mackenzie Carpenter collab I Wish You Would — her duet with Wystrach is a Stages standout.
Juxtaposed with Up In Texas (featuring retro nuevo trailblazer Clint Black), there’s no mid-album slump here.
Midland might just have dropped On The Rocks MkII. Let’s raise a glass to that.
