"Roscoe" is the lead single from Midlake's sophomore album '' The Trials of Van Occupanther''.

Background and recording

Songwriter Tim Smith incorporated elements of the M*A*S*H* theme into the tune. The Trials of Van Occupanther, for which Roscoe is the lead single, was recorded at the band's

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studio.

Critical reception

The Trials of Van Occupanther holds a 79 aggregate score on

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described "Roscoe" as "the kind of song worth stopping everything for" in their positive review of the album. Paste labelled it as "forceful" and "assured" in their similarly favorable take on Van Occupanther.

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praised its "delicate vocals," and

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complained that "nothing else here comes close o Roscoe on the album. It was featured in

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's "100 Best Songs of the 2000s" list and

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's "Track of the Day" segment.

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, 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

, knocked the loss of synthesizers and aggressive vocals in Roscoe.

In popular culture

The song is included in the soundtrack for 2009 film The Cry of the Owl.

Ellie Goulding version

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.

References

{{Midlake 2006 singles