CD Odyssey Disc 896: Black Mountain

I had originally planned to take today off work, but fate intervened. I’m still managing to get a half day off work, and I’m filling it with lunch with friends and writing this blog entry. The day’s glass is decidedly half full.

This next review was delayed because first I had to grok a new album in its fullness, and then I had to wait to see them live in concert so I could review that as well. Here goes…

Disc 896 is….IV

Artist: Black Mountain

Year of Release: 2016

What’s up with the Cover? I’ve heard people criticize Black Mountain’s music for not being sure what it wants to be. That is certainly reflected in this cover, where a bunch of disparate images fight for attention. Note the Concorde is part of “IV” airways. Presumably Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin also fly with them.

How I Came To Know It: I am already a fan of Black Mountain and while the first two singles off this album didn’t grab me, I decided to give it a chance since I was going to see them live anyway.

How It Stacks Up:  I have four Black Mountain albums. “IV” is appropriately titled, falling in at fourth best. Because this is once again the last Black Mountain album reviewed in my collection, here’s a recap:

1. Wilderness Heart: 4 stars (reviewed at Disc 315)
2. In the Future: 3 stars (reviewed way back at Disc 4)
3. Self-Titled: 2 stars (reviewed at Disc 511)
4. IV: 2 stars (reviewed right here)

Ratings: 2 stars

I admire Black Mountain for doing what they want to do musically, and not caring how commercial or accessible it is. Unfortunately, with “IV” this decision results in a record that is self-indulgent but not terribly enjoyable (or even interesting) to listen to.

The opening track, “Mothers of the Sun” is pretty solid, as the band juxtaposes their two styles (atmospheric ambient sound and seventies-inspired rock riffs) to create a song with interesting dynamics. Amber Webber’s warbling vocals are alien and intense even for her standards. Like the two musical styles they stand out well against fellow vocalist (and band leader) Stephen McBean’s more traditional delivery. The song is a little long (more on that later) but it grew on me over multiple listens.

Regrettably, it doesn’t take long for Black Mountain to lose the plot (or maybe more precisely, they follow a plot all their own). “Florian Saucer Attack” had me thinking of Blue Oyster Cult, but only in that it made me want to be listening to them instead.

The album then takes a turn for the atmospheric with “Defector” and “You Can Dream,” two songs that meander around in a tight melodic box without a lot of forward motion to catch your ear. Black Mountain has always loved layering sound and on “IV” they take it one step further, with organ and synth sounds higher in the mix and lots of otherworldly laser sounds. These songs need a little more of the rock and roll that balances the opening track, but it is clear early on the band isn’t going to offer that up.

“Constellations” is a return to rock and roll, and even has a cowbell in the mix but the song sounds a bit too like something the Killers might have released ten years earlier, with a thin coat of proggy production to hide the crime.

Midway through the record, “Line Them Up” brought me back from the brink. This is a quiet and mournful tune, aided by a stripped down production and a restrained and emotional Amber Webber vocal performance that serves the tune beautifully. The chord structure of the song reminded me a little of Clannad, but stays strongly in the rock genre. This is a song for sitting in the dark and remembering absent friends.

“Cemetery Breeding” follows “Line Them Up” with a cool organ riff and a strong chorus, which gave hope that I was finally picking up what Black Mountain was putting down.

Instead the album ends with “Crucify Me” a song that wants to be good, but the band just won’t let it and two eight-plus minute brutes: “(Over and Over) The Chain” and “Space to Bakersfield.” Both songs wind their way so slowly and sluggishly they become the musical equivalent of an Oxbow Lake; stagnant and cut off emotionally even from themselves.

The album is over 55 minutes long, and lacks the energy to sustain itself.  “IV” has moments, but unfortunately, the moments are too sparse to make up for the wandering dissolution on the majority of the songs.

Best tracks:  Mothers of the Sun, Line Them Up, Cemetery Breeding

The Concert – Tuesday, August 2, 2016 at Distrikt Nightclub

Black Mountain came to Victoria last night which was a welcome gesture (bands don’t always bother crossing the Strait of Georgia). Knowing the band’s penchant for noodling, and already underwhelmed with the latest record, I went into the show with low expectations.

Distrikt as a venue has never been a great place to see a show. Despite many incarnations (“The Forge,” “Legends,” “Club 919,” and more) it will always be limited by the fact that is essentially a basement with a low ceiling. The Distrikt folks have made improvements by sinking a dance floor in front of the stage, improving the sight lines, so it was better than I remembered it but the sound remained sketchy and a bit hot.

I went to the show with my friends Nick (happy birthday, Nick!), Chris and Chris’ son Kevin. It was a lot of fun enjoying a concert with the next generation.

The opening act was a trio in desperate need of a drummer. I would tell you their name but they never stopped their droning long enough to let the crowd know. Black Mountain gave them a shout out later on, but I missed the name. Attention opening acts: you are there to promote yourselves – at least say who you are!

Not that it would have mattered, because I was uninspired. They played about a half dozen songs and they all sounded the same. The organ player seemed bored, and the bassist kept adjusting his amp, and so came in late to half the tracks. The band was slightly improved when Black Mountain drummer Joshua Wells came on stage to give them an assist. Wells is a top-notch drummer and his work here (and later with Black Mountain) was a highlight of the evening.

In between the two performances roadies came on stage and did their disheveled yet meticulous dance with the equipment. One older guy, unkempt beard in full array, was wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat. Chris and Kevin dubbed him “Sound Hound of the Baskervilles.” Nice. Also, during the wait the club DJ played Blue Oyster Cult’s “Dominance and Submission.” Double nice!

At length (literally – it was approaching 11 p.m.) Black Mountain came on stage to the scattered applause of the 30-something hipster crowd. I will give the crowd credit – they were enthusiastic without being disruptive and I saw a lot of local audiophiles and legitimate music lovers in the audience.

The band wasn’t much for audience interaction, and it seemed the kind of audience that enjoyed the coolness of the band ‘keeping it real.’ McBean’s only attempt to engage was to note that it was Tuesday, which as conversation topics go ranks up there with remarking on the weather.

Black Mountain is not terribly exciting to watch. They have a lot of cool tracks (fast and slow) but for every fast-paced cruncher they felt the need to kill all the energy in the room with some pointless droning. The quieter songs I preferred of their previous album “Wildnerness Heart” were mostly ignored in favour of the lesser tracks off of “IV” (see album review above).

Instead of ending the set with a rambunctious energy-filled song, they went with a coma-inducing epic of feedback and blah.

The cheer for the encore was the most lackluster I’ve ever encountered, and Black Mountain took their time returning. I got the feeling the audience were too cool to take part in the age-old rock concert ritual, and Black Mountain were too cool to care. It was weirdly cool, actually. Kind of like when spoken-word poetry audiences snap their fingers instead of clap.

The encore featured not timeless favourites, but instead a lot more droning. I believe this was expected, since the most die-hard fans up close on the floor seemed to eat this up.

I like to think I am a Black Mountain fan (I even bought a shirt, despite sourly noting that once again a band has come to Victoria without enough ‘mediums’ for sale) but the band has a lot of range, and I don’t love everything they do. This show was engaging when they were in my wheelhouse, and the boys can definitely play, so overall I’d say the show was solid, but not inspiring. It was weighed down by the new material such that it strayed too often from throwback seventies rock show and into the space-sounds of indifference. They might do this latter sound well as well, but I had a hard time caring.

Having said all that, all three of my companions liked it a lot more than I did, leading me to believe this was more a matter of taste. If some of the things I’ve complained about are things you actually like in music then this is the band for you.