It erupted late 2009, got great press and I loved it from the get go. Why There Are Mountains is a fantastic album that draws comparisons to Built to Spill, Jawbreaker, and I think even Sonic Youth based on the strength of the guitar play. I've managed to catch the band twice, both at our powerhouse Local 506 and the boys really bring it. Despite being a young band they were able to reproduce their album's complexity easily on stage. The Shirt will love this but I was especially endured to the band after seeing them enter Time-Out after one of their shows ended. Chicken and cheese please, side of fried okra - Yes!
I've got to give props to Pitchfork on this one - who had a spot on review describing the bands ability to add "reverbed guitar and electric piano to give an eye-of-the-storm calm." And that's just the opening track - ..."And the Hazy Sea." It immediately made me think of "Bivouac," one of Jawbreakers early releases (and a track that is dear to my early 90's rock. Gotta love '93 boys & girls, 24 Hour Revenge Therapy is in my top 5 albums of all time - but I digress.) The album is full of subtle mixes of noise rock, piano, and fantastic horns. The vocals go from quiet and defeated to full blown sing-alongs. All in all, a fantastic rock album that I highly recommend.
My standout tracks (in order) are"Living North" and "Some Trees (Merrit Moon)" but from top to bottom you can just let this one spin.
yeah, it was them and Pains of Being Pure at Heart. I think we only caught a couple songs by these guys, since they went on first but the ones we heard were awesome. I'd share a bucket of bones with them anytime.
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