I have become quite a fanboy of Bottlecap Mountain for no other reason than what a fine band they are. I'm not a great mingler with musicians, I'd have no time for reviews etc if I was. Since I stepped back a lot from Social Media, it has been even less. So music now is even more on what I discover myself, but there is the happy sound of a siren when returning heroes continue to deliver.
This is the Austin Texas quartet's sixth album and I came in at album Number 4. The IDHAS Review for Dismayland is here and the review for Fib Factory here. Both albums revealed an ability to offer variety without ever losing the quality.
Essentially an Indie Pop Rock band, they had no problem in stepping into Americana, Rock or Power Pop. Whilst doing this the lyrics were much deeper than you would expect and there was a social conscience that was always there in the background and sometimes right up front.
I hear something different here and I suspect it is down to natural progression. There is a much Rockier side to the album. They've always had this, but it has usually involved a looseness, here it is much more focussed without ever losing what the band are good at.
Fear not, there is nothing here to frighten the horses, there is plenty of what you might expect, but the departures invite even more applause at the range they can cover. My Little Demon is a wonderful joining of late 60s Rock and more than a dash of Metal with a Farfisa fighting to get in. It is superb.
The Ground even gets into Dylan And The Band territory yet still contains a wonderful piano accompaniment and you sense Blue Collar Rock fighting to get a turn without succeeding. Unicorn has a driving Bass line that dominates an awesome slice of 70s Mid West Rock.
But there is plenty of beauty on show. Out On The Road is built on a riff that hooks you and contains a fine string arrangement. Ascension is built around a top notch motormouth delivery, but drenched in a meandering Americana melancholy.
Then there is the Pop Rock and probably the stand out song here, Canoe. It has a great Pop Vocal, matched by a booming riff and a surprisingly ace twee keyboard riff that breaks in. War Has Begun is short, heartfelt and charming despite its message
Dream On Come On is just about as Pop as Bottlecap Mountain will ever get and Astral Funk does indeed get funky. Resurrection Blues is haunting and lonesome, a song that you expect to be sung in desert isolation by a cactus tree. Highly Recommended!
You can listen to and buy the album here. You can find out more about Bottlecap Mountain here.
.................................
No comments:
Post a Comment