Roscoe (song)
| "Roscoe" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Midlake | |
| from the album The Trials of Van Occupanther | |
| Released | May 2006 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:49 |
| Label | Bella Union |
| Songwriter(s) | Tim Smith |
"Roscoe" is the lead single from Midlake's sophomore album The Trials of Van Occupanther.
Background and recording
[edit]Songwriter Tim Smith incorporated elements of the M*A*S*H* theme into the tune.[2] The Trials of Van Occupanther, for which Roscoe is the lead single, was recorded at the band's Texas studio.[3]
Critical reception
[edit]The Trials of Van Occupanther holds a 79 aggregate score on Metacritic.[4] The A.V. Club described "Roscoe" as "the kind of song worth stopping everything for" in their positive review of the album.[5] Paste labelled it as "forceful" and "assured" in their similarly favorable take on Van Occupanther.[6] The Austin Chronicle praised its "delicate vocals,"[7] and Pitchfork complained that "nothing else here comes close [to Roscoe]" on the album.[8] It was featured in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Songs of the 2000s" list[9] and The Atlantic's "Track of the Day" segment.[10]
Tiny Mix Tapes, in contrast, described the album as "a sterile, ineffectual effort that trades in confidence for reticence." Their review, which is the most negative recorded by Metacritic, knocked the loss of synthesizers and aggressive vocals in Roscoe.[11]
In popular culture
[edit]The song is included in the soundtrack for 2009 film The Cry of the Owl.[12]
Ellie Goulding version
[edit]British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding released a cover of Roscoe in 2009. It served as bonus material for An Introduction to Ellie Goulding, her first EP.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "100 Best Songs of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. June 17, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
The dream of the Seventies was alive in Denton, Texas, home to the quintet behind this meticulously layered evocation of the foreboding, psychedelic soft rock of their youth...
- ^ "Tim Smith of Midlake". The A.V. Club. 2007-09-04. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ Midlake - The Trials Of Van Occupanther, retrieved 2022-06-20
- ^ The Trials Of Van Occupanther by Midlake, retrieved 2022-06-20
- ^ "Midlake: The Trials Of Van Occupanther". The A.V. Club. 2006-07-26. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ "Paste Magazine :: Review :: Midlake :: The Trials of Van Occupanther (Page 1)". 2008-01-15. Archived from the original on 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ Stevens, Darcie (August 11, 2006). "Midlake: The Trials of Van Occupanther Album Review". www.austinchronicle.com. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ "Midlake: The Trials of Van Occupanther". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ "100 Best Songs of the 2000s". Rolling Stone. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ Thompson, Matt (2015-09-30). "Track of the Day: 'Roscoe'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ "Music Review: Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
- ^ The Cry of the Owl (2009) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-06-20
- ^ Ellie Goulding: Roscoe (Acoustic) (Video 2009) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-06-20