I don’t think Essex band The Milk wanted to leave us in any doubt as to just how cinematic this, their fourth album, was going to be, and therefore Borderlands opens with the Pearl & Dean aping introduction that is ‘I Need Your Love‘. This is somehow interspersed with a sound that is as much Astral Weeks as it is Michael Buble, and that’s honestly not a criticism in any shape or form; it’s merely a suggestion that it has ‘late night romantic show tune’ written all over it, and sounds absolutely huge.
Contrast that with the album’s centre point, naturally called ‘The Middle‘ or the later ‘Wanted Man‘, and there are even shades of Miles Davis in there too. The fact that The Milk can shoehorn so many colossuses of their field into their compositions shows an exceptional talent, especially as they are still able to maintain their own sound beyond that.
Beyond anything, Borderlands sounds like an epic soul record, with a knowing nod to the sixties Mod movement – or indeed, the sun-drenched harmonies you would associate with The Everly Brothers or The Beach Boys – and a wide-eyed appreciation of jazz. It’s not a stretch to imagine Paul Weller composing the likes of ‘Loaded Dice‘, an epic, expansive tune with a haunting build-up to what is, in essence, a thumping soul cut. And the title track here is simply sublime – a lovely, soul-cleansing slice of paradise.
I can’t believe it’s taken me three paragraphs to get to the “s” word, actually, for Borderlands is full to the brim with some of the most soulful compositions you’ll have heard in years. Sometimes they’re uptempo and bristle with that raw energy and spirit that you’d associate with The Temptations, such as the aforementioned ‘Loaded Dice‘ or the sublime ‘Destiny Calling‘ which is not a cover of the James song of the same name, just in case you were wondering. It’s got more than a faint whiff of The Isley Brothers about it, but also the odd dramatic passage here and there that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Jefferson Airplane‘s Surrealistic Pillow.
That the band can then deliver a thing of such aching beauty as Borderlands‘ finale, ‘I Saved My Best For You‘, is a testament to their awe-inspiring versatility. Rick Nunn’s vocal here somehow reminds me of Holly Johnson in his more tender, introspective moments. It’s probably the most beautiful track I’ve heard this year. Absolutely stunning. Clearly, this milk won’t be going sour any time soon.
Borderlands is out now on WLS.
