New Music: Midst - Wake Up, O Sleeper

Whilst I may have been on holiday for the last couple of weeks, that doesn't mean that I've stopped devouring music. In fact, it's the opposite. I've had the privilege to spend a few hours every day gorging myself on the stuff; from listening to classic records from the past with no interruptions such as The Beach Boys Pet Sounds, Primal Scream's Screamadelica, Kate Bush's Hounds of Love and Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life to some not so-classic but of interest to me albums such as The Thompson Twin's Here's To Future Days and Hot Fuss by The Killers ( OK, arguably that one's a classic of sorts) plus the latest new kids on the block and new releases. I even got round to listening to Kanye's latest, which has some surprisingly decent moments on it.

Wallowing self indulgently in this way (something I don't usually get the opportunity to do) has made me realise, more than ever, how easy it would be to run a great music blog or website if I had that all important ingredient - spare time. However, Breaking More Waves will always be just a small scale hobbyist side-project, fitting itself between a busy day job, family and social life. Most music bloggers give up or radically slow down with their blogs when full time work and kids come along. Being a sucker for doing more than is possible I actually started mine at the time when my family was quite young and so the way I run it has always been pretty much the same. It's never going to be the cool hip gunslinger out on tastemaker street, but that's fine - cool is virtually always transient anyway. 

Now, back to those new kids on the block that I've been listening to. Today Breaking More Waves will be playing catch up, with a number of posts on new tracks that I've enjoyed over the last two weeks. I'll be posting one song every hour or so during the course of the day, starting with something quite devine.

I came across Singapore 3 piece Midst via the Spotify Discover Weekly feature, one of the few algorithm playlists that seems to work well for me. It works because it fulfils the basic function of providing music that in the main I haven't heard before and more than any other recommendation service it seems to tune in to my tastes.

Midst has just one EP out, simply titled EP, and it's the song Wake Up, O Sleeper that has me smitten. Part languid hymn, part cinematic sunrise soundtrack, its gentle ambience has shades of both London Grammar and Sigur Rós in it's all encompassing soothing beauty. I don't know how many times I've played this one over the last couple of weeks, but it's still not enough. 

Midst - Wake Up, O Sleeper