Mt. Mountain
Centre
Fuzz Club Records [2021]
Australian five-piece Mt. Mountain’s fourth album, Centre, is a sprawling, psychedelic rocker that rides the edge of quiet waves right before they crash. That anticipation of when their music switches gears is exactly Mt. Mountain’s strength and it is why Centre is great listen from front to back.
This surreal build up is evident on first track “Tassels,” as the music enters flawlessly with a building momentum that never crests as Stephen Bailey’s vocals hide behind the instruments. The band then has a moment to jam before the track ends after its 7:20 minute runtime. More music and less vocals is Mt. Mountain’s style as they use lyrics to highlight movements within tracks but not to dominate the songs.
Centre was recorded live to capture the bands free vibe and on a song like “Second Home” you catch some higher level snap that is generated off the setting and arrangement using this method. I really like how Mt. Mountain are completely confident on each of the nine tracks. The band never once falters on their psychedelic direction as they move between quieter lulls and blown out explosions!
With three albums behind them, the Perth quintet have a solid reputation in their homeland and have shared a stage with recognizable names like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, ORB, Sleep, Thee Oh Sees, Acid Mothers Temple and Moon Duo. If any of those names appeal to you, Mt. Mountain should be on your radar and in your playlist as Centre represents some of their best work to date!
Key Tracks: “Hands Together” / “Aplomb” / “Second Home”
Artists With Similar Fire: Kikagaku Moyo / The Black Angels / Kimono Drag Queens
Mt. Mountain Website
Mt. Mountain Facebook
Fuzz Club Records
-Reviewed by Christopher Anthony
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