Mt. Mountain is a psychedelic rock band from Perth, Australia, which I think I came across the other night after listening to Beans, another psychedelic rock band from Australia. The group seems to have been around since sometime in early 2013 at the very least, which is when the group’s first album is dated from on the group’s Bandcamp page. This album, Centre (2021), appears to be the group’s fifth studio album based on the releases on Mt. Mountain’s Bandcamp page. There’s a little blurb about the style of this album on its Bandcamp listing, which seems to suggest mixtures of early Krautrock and modern psychedelic rock, seemingly moving between tranquil and heavier movements. I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Tassels” starts out with a super mellow droning tone that gradually fades in, and reminds me a bit of Faust in the process. Oh wow, there are some really sweet, repetitive, yet mellow psychedelic guitar lines that seem to gradually melt into the droning tone that’s currently in the background. Oh wow, I really dig the combination of the drums and bass in this track, as the drums seem to gradually drive the tune forward, while the bass seems to provide a really groovy oomf to the droning, krautrock-like tone in the background with every beat as it bridges the gap between the drums and the droning tone. The guitar almost has a sort of west coast/California style that I’m digging. Oh wow, the guitar drops away and the track has entered a really groovy krautrock section reminiscent of groups like Faust. The bass almost seems to have a sort of wet tone at this point as well that I’m really digging. Holy smokes, the guitar comes back in with a really serene quality, as though the band is attempting to put any listeners into a trance as the drums and bass seem to keep the momentum moving forward. Oh wow, either a guitar or a keyboard picks up a really sweet wah effect that adds even more psychedelic flavors to the soundscape. Oh wow, it sounds like there’s a sweet note from an organ for a moment just as the song comes to a close. Great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
“Hands Together” gets grooving with a really mellow, super sweet repetitive guitar line that gently plucks some notes into the soundscape, and soon the drums, bass, and another guitar join in as the song picks up a grooving-trance-like sound. Oh wow, I really dig the repetitive nature of the drums and bass that seem to keep the soundscape in a really sweet and mellow groove. Honestly I’m reminded of some sort of krautrock-inflected version of Spiritualized, and I’m really digging the sound. The main melodic guitar almost has a bit of a raga-quality at times that I’m really digging too. Oh wow, this track is super groovy. The mellow, melting, krautrock-inflected psychedelia has me listening closer and closer. Oh wow, the main melodic guitar becomes a bit more complex and seems to be echoed by some sort of keyboard in the background as the track nears its end. Wow, another great track.
“Dawn” starts out with some mellow tones in the backdrop from a keyboard in a krautrock style, while the drums and bass almost sound as though they have a bouncing quality to them as the track continues. Oh wow, the track changes up and gets into a super mellow psychedelic swing as the guitars gradually melt in and the keyboard drones in behind everything with a krautrock kind of sound. I’m really digging this track so far. Holy smokes, this track is super groovy. Wow, super sweet tune.
“The List” immediately has an upbeat feel with the syncopated drums and the sort of reverberated guitar that again reminds me of a sort of west coast/California psych sound, particularly from the mid-to-late 1960s. Oh wow, the track seems to subtly jam and flow along in a manner that seems again quite trance-inducing. I really dig the high notes that drone in from the keyboard in a krautrock style reminiscent of groups like Faust. Wow, super sweet track.
“Two Minds” gets started with a gentle drum beat that introduces the song in an almost jazz-like manner as the guitars enter. Oh wow, this track is super sweet. The guitars seem to melt into the aether of the soundscape while the keyboard gently drones in from the background. Oh wow, I’m kind of reminded of modern psychedelic rock acts like Kingdom of the Holy Sun mixed with a super mellow, melty style in this track that I’m really digging. Wow, great track.
“Aplomb” gets started with a really interesting guitar tone that seems to have a bit of a tremolo and almost lofi quality that hints at distortion, but never quite gets there. Some sturdy drums, a grooving bass, a melty guitar, and a droning keyboard all soon enter the soundscape as well, with a bit of an upbeat feel compared to the mellow nature of some of the previous tracks on this album. I really dig the way the rolls of the drums and the slide of the bass guitar seem to line up on this track. Oh wow, that original tremolo guitar plays a few chords with a really melty quality that I’m really digging. Oh wow, the jams seem to continually ramp up as some cymbals are added to the beat, which almost add an element of chaos to what has been a super trance-inducing album thus far. Wow, great track.
“Peregrination” gets started with a really interesting swing in the drums and groove from the bass line, which almost feel like the band is hinting at a sort of jazz rock feel at times. There’s a really gentle electric guitar that seems to gradually melt into the soundscape at times like ripples on a body of water that almost invoke a sort of breezy yacht rock feel somewhat reminiscent of Steely Dan’s Gaucho (1980). Oh wow, there are some really interesting psychedelic effects that sort of sound like some spacey ripples for a moment. Holy smokes, a flute comes into the soundscape and seems to add even more to the jazz-like quality of the soundscape thus far. Holy smokes, the bass picks up a really groovy fuzz for a moment, as though the band hints at entering a heavier krautrock movement before the jam seemingly resolves back to the melty, somewhat spacey, psychedelic, jazz-inflected movement. Oh wow, the soundscape seems to continually evolve as more and different layers are continually added in, which also seems to ramp up the intensity of the pre-existing instrumentation in the song. Holy smokes, the track seems to break through to an upbeat krautrock section as the song seems to near its end. Wow, awesome jam track.
“Second Home” gets started with some upbeat and almost loose grooves from the drums and bass, which remind me a bit of modern west coast psychedelic rock groups from the US. Though I haven’t listened to a lot of Moon Duo and I ought to check out more of their discography, I’m sort of reminded of them in this mellow, upbeat tune. Oh wow, everything but the drums and vocals drop away for a moment, and the track takes on an almost modern alternative pop rock sort of sound, and then the droning keys and the rest of the instrumentation fades back in, and with it, a super sweet and psychedelic sound. Great tune.
“Deluge” begins with big waves of drones from the keys and what sounds to be the gentle crashing of cymbals in the background, while droning tones seem to gradually come into the soundscape from a guitar, almost as if you’re watching some sort of slow-mo video of ocean waves in a musical form. Oh wow, a guitar line takes form with a really sweet, repetitive quality that once again is very trance-inducing. Oh wow, there’s another guitar in this track that seems to add some really groovy psychedelic accentuations to the other guitar as well. I really dig the mellow percussion that comes into the track as well, which adds nicely to the trance-inducing quality of the track. Great tune, and a great way to finish off the album.
Holy smokes, this album is great. I was reminded a lot of the krautrock stylings of Faust with the droning tones throughout the album, and the mellow psychedelic nature of the album was almost like some psychedelic musical equivalent to watching ocean waves gently roll onto a peaceful, secluded beach at dusk. I was reminded of different groups ranging from Moon Duo, to Spiritualized, to Steely Dan throughout the listening experience. If you’re into mellow, trance-inducing psychedelic rock, and especially if you also enjoy krautrock, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, then I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A