Black Mountain Takes You On a Trip

Black Mountain

I first came across psychedelic rock band, Black Mountain, on a sampler of music from Canadian label, Jagjaguwar, back about eight years ago, a sampler that included label mates Bon Iver and Ladyhawk.  It was a sprawling, eight-minute opus, a true hippie-fest.

So when I saw that they were releasing their fourth full-length album - entitled "IV" - I decided to check it out.  And what a trip it is!  They blend new wave electronica with Jimi Hendrix riffs, linked together with ponderous Pink Floyd explorations of sound.  It really works!  I'm glad I found this album.

The album starts out with "Mothers of the Sun" roaring off the ground with a Black Sabbath-style guitar intro, but then immediately simmers down to a low boil, a orchestral whisper complete with an oboe and Amber Webber doing her best impersonation of Lisa Gerrard (except with actual words).  It really does remind me of Dead Can Dance, until the cadence picks up to a up-tempo blues smolder with Stephen McBean sharing vocal duties over a jamming '70s lead guitar.  "Florian Saucer Attack" takes its space theme and new wave pace blending it with  Jefferson Airplane vibe, Webber even sounding like Grace Slick.  On "Deflector", Webber and McBean again share vocal duties on a grinding melody with a short guitar bridge that hooks you right in.  "You Can Dream" is a great example of this band meshing electronica with classic rock guitars, as in "Constellations" with its steady rock beat accompanied by shrill keyboards.  "Line Them All Up" takes it down a notch with an acoustic piece, yet has several tempo changes that takes us on some wild mood swings.  "Cemetery Breeding" is probably my favorite song, a nostalgic piece about mourning a lost love and having sex in a graveyard.  The album ends with three psychedelic pieces, including "Space to Bakersfield", long, contemplative expeditions like the end of an acid trip, languid, tired, and slowly burning out like the candle flame dousing in the tallow.

So if you like '70s psychedlic, you're definitely going to like this.  Break out your bong and enjoy.  This one is a roller coaster ride into other dimensions.