Review Summary: The Microphones, plugged in. The Microphones, heavier.
"Mount Eerie is a new project. The Microphones was completed, or at least at a good stopping point. I did it because I am ready for new things. I am new."
Mount Eerie is:
Phil Elvrum
Jason Anderson
Kjetil Jenssen
The above quote is in an interview with Discorder, where Phil Elvrum describes his change from his name
The Microphones, to his new name, Mount Eerie (named after the mountain in Washington, Mount Erie). Although he released two new songs under his old name in 2007, they had a sound similar to Mount Eerie. Elvrum has done some truly different things under Mount Eerie, such as his release,
Mount Eerie pts 6 & 7, a 132-page hardcover coffee-table book that included his photography, and it included a 10" record. One of the songs on there (Blue Light on the Floor) appears on this EP.
The first thing you'll notice with this album is the production value. The production value is not high at all, but that value only adds to the atmosphere of this. As you listen, fuzz will berate your ears, the screech and feedback of the guitars will make you wince a little, and parts of the songs will randomly drop in and out. Even with instruments randomly dropping in and out, it only adds to this EP.
Unlike The Microphones, an acoustic guitar is not to be found on the entire EP. The main sound of the music is a cross of The Microphones with metal. While that sounds completely ridiculous, it works well. In the first song, Appetite, it starts off as Phil strumming his guitar with no distortion and singing, but, one minute into the song, the guitar screeches with feedback as the distortion kicks to the line
"Will you be coming home for dinner. It then proceeds to go into a simple chord progression with guitar slides and a solo, but in a very hard rock/metal fashion, but not losing the indie influence.
It works, it works. "Domesticated Dog" is at its heart, a blues song (a very good one at that.) Clocking in at 2 minutes, 10 seconds, it's the shortest song on the EP. Even though the main theme of this EP is the creation of a heavier version of The Microphones, it still has a softer song in the middle. "In Moonlight" is the softest song on the EP, a song that seems to be about finding ones self.
Walking down the road in the middle of the night
Singing this song to myself:
“I will find you, I will find you, I will find you, I will find you”
The wind goes through my clothing
Saying:
“I will find you, I will find you, I will find you, I will find you”
Not even knowing what I’m looking for by walking in the dark
My life is just saying one thing
“I will find you, I will find you, I will find you, I will find you”
Even though In Moonlight is one of the softer songs, the middle is compromised of a chord progression with a lead guitar being played through it until the end. And the end will take away it's recognition as one of the softer songs. With a drum fill near the end, the song kicks into a blues rock/metal jam until the end, and it is the (in my opinion) the best moment on this EP.
"Don't Smoke" has a straightforward meaning to it (just take a swing at the message). Even if Phil's idea of the reasons people smoke is because "a part of you wants to be dead" or because "being rebellious to adult's never ended to you", "It's no excuse to start smoking."
This is probably one of the (oops, here it comes) most under-rated EPs of this year, I didn't know of its existence until I started searching about The Microphones. The EP, at it's heart, is heavily influenced by blues. It's a combination of indie and metal, with a heavy blues undertone. Something like this could've easily went in the wrong direction quickly, but Phil Elvrum knew what to do, and has produced a fine release here. Don't let the low production get to you, it's actually a high point.
Recommended Tracks
In Moonlight
Appetite
Stop Singing
