Review Summary: Pink Mountain can appear challenging at first, but soon lends itself as a fascinating listen.
Pink Mountain may be a relatively new project, but the members are hardly new to the music scene. With members who have either recorded/played with the likes of Built to Spill, Tom Waits, Oxbow, and Fred Frith, they have plenty of experience. Their self-titled release
Pink Mountain is intriguingly wild to say the least. With Pink Mountain’s sound stemming from the grungiest Butthole Surfers moments to the meticulous nature of any Shellac or Zu album, they are uniquely defined. Their Avant-Garde/noise-rock style is rather eclectic and haphazardly created into a twisted haze of sound that may take some time to ease in to.
Pink Mountain wastes no time before it is immersed in static wall of sound. Soon after, the bass-heavy, psychedelic nature of “Over the Rainbow, Somewhere” becomes something rather catchy, musically at least. After all, Pink Mountain are not reliant on vocals to create hooks, but rather a synthesizer, bass, and guitar. The beginning synthesizer of “Pink City” leads to an improvised horn section with squealing saxophones before the main rhythm puts everything in its place. Two of the more beautiful, less ‘disorganized’ tracks happen to compliment one another. “Eternal Halflife” and “Eternal Shelflife,” are emotionally charged songs lead by blissful vocals and off-kilter rhythm passages. The intentional discombobulated sections only make the more standard sections more pleasing.
As much as
Pink Mountain is Avant-Garde, its roots lay with a noise/math-rock undertone. “Howling Fantods” and “All Fours” contain some of the heaviest riffs and horn lines found on what becomes more of a space odyssey as the record winds down. It’s safe to say that the members of Pink Mountain weren’t exactly looking to make the most accessible album, but rather something that stretched the imagination of ones mind. Like some of the heaviest Old Man Gloom tracks, “Ditch Witch” is a sonic, thunderous song glued to a sublime, fitting voice that highlights the album.
This strange journey entitled
Pink Mountain will leave behind a unique blend of experimental noise-rock with a splash of Avant-Garde. While it may not be as brilliant as Boredoms’
Super Ae or other genre pacesetters, Pink Mountain are certainly appealing for anyone looking for a uncanny listen. Consider your mind to be fu
cked.
