Expatriate: ‘In The Midst of This’ album

Expatriate – ‘Are You Awake’

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Finally, two years after releasing that much loved 2005 Lovers le Strange EP, Expatriate have released their debut long player In The Midst of This. After spending a whole week with this record, I’ve come to like a number of the songs. It’s a stellar recording with plenty of atmospheric synths, effected guitar and dreamy vocals. The themes are rather sorrowfully romantic, and watching them at an intimate album launch party in Sydney, I noted how much the band has changed since that first EP and when I saw them over a year ago supporting The Presets at the Gaelic Club.

Not only is Expatriate looking like a major label band (Note: Ben Kings transformation into an Australian equivalent to The Killers Brandon Flowers) but they are sounding like one too, the album being incredibly polished and professional. They collaborated with producer John Goodmanson of Wu-Tang Clan and Blonde Redhead fame in Seattle and the results are evident, and honestly- quite good. There are some cheesy moments too (The intro to ‘Are You Awake?’) but the “I truly love you I do…” lyric in ‘The Spaces Between’ gets me every time. *Sigh*

www.myspace.com/expatriateband