The Middle East – ‘Black Death 1349′

While it’s understandable things in Townsville do run at a somewhat ‘relaxed’ pace, for the most of us (bloggers/fans/bedtime playlists in need of an update) it’s welcome news that The Middle East have finally announced a release date for their debut record – ‘I Want That You Are Always Happy’.

Recording between tours at the band’s’ Townsville studio in late 2009, the band then shifted to Midlake’s Denton studio in March 2010 after their SXSW stint. Since arriving back home in July 2010, they’ve been putting final touches on the album in a makeshift Cairns-based studio.

While ‘Black Death 1349’ takes on more shadowy tones than previous singles, typical Middle East formalities remain – melancholic themes, brooding instrumentals, vox with xanax properties etc. It’s been a while coming, but if the album is anything to go by the snippets of what we’ve heard, it should be a decent contender.

The track is available as a free download from the Golden Plains website here for a limited time.

‘I Want That You Are Always Happy’ is out through Spunk on April 8

www.themiddleeastmusic.com