Midlake have always been around, even when they are not. Hitting the indie-folk scene just before it really got going, their 2006 sleeper hit 'Roscoe' was quickly overshadowed by even more slow-burning successes from Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes. Midlake's presence has always been felt though, the band returning at increasingly irregular intervals to offer variations on the buoyant psych-folk that established them.

For The Sake Of Bethel Woods follows suit, arriving nine years after their last album. The band seem unburdened with not breaking any new ground, instead content to provide a gentle blanket for fans. The album opens with 'Commune', which re-establishes the group through an opening line about having been 'away far too long', building from a single guitar to a lush full-band glow. Actual opening track, and lead single, 'Bethel Woods' comes crashing in soon after, throwing back to the rich and bombastic sound of their high-point collection, The Trials Of Van Occupanther.

The rest of the record, though, too often finds them returning to a familiar safety, despite flirting with knotty intricacy on 'Glistening' or spaced-out distortion with 'Noble'. A prog-funk strut entitled 'Gone' is ill-fitting with a band who seem more attuned to melodic wistfulness, although they somewhat correct this uneasy error with 'Meanwhile … ', another strong song that harks back to their early work.

Midlake worked with an outsider producer for the first time on this album, and Grammy Award-winning John Congleton's tender experimentation fits well with the band's overall sound. For The Sake Of Bethel Woods is a solid addition to Midlake's catalogue, presenting a band not quite reborn, but certainly rejuvenated.

Midlake: For The Sake Of Bethel Woods is released by Bella Union on Friday 18 March.