Overdue Album Review: Mt. Desolation

What happens when members from groups like Keane, The Killers and Noah and the Whale come together to record an alt-country/bluegrass album? You get Mt. Desolation, whose debut album was released this past October. Is it worth picking up? Read on for my review!
I first caught wind of Mt. Desolation from Keane's newsletter-they announced a new musical project from songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley and bassist Jesse Quinn that would be their take on alt-country. While I don't like country in general, I can appreciate the style if it's tied to the roots of it all (greatly helped with a bluegrass sound). I picked up the album from Amazon's MP3 store (which I've come to find is superior to iTunes in a lot of ways). I was pleasantly surprised-here's my usual track by track breakdown.

Departure-The album starts off with this driving tune, which features subtle drum rhythm and soft "ooooohs" that launch into a crescendoing piano and a bursting verse. The folk-like lyrics are nice, and the chorus is particularly great, full of nice harmonies. You can check out the equally cool video at the bottom of this review.

Annie Ford-This track is bright and vibrant, with lots of instrument, including guitar with a matching subtle fiddle. It's a nice tune, but it feels almost over-produced--the harmonies are a bit buried underneath hammering drums.

Bridal Gown-The first slow tune of the album, featuring melancholic fiddle and vocal melody that create an atmosphere reminiscent of a gray, rainy day. It feels a little quiet and boring, but it's a grower. Rice-Oxley's voice fits very nicely.

State Of Our Affairs-This one starts out very nicely, with a sort of "scratched record" sound, echoing beat, and plucked strings. The lyrics are calming and very visual, rounding it all. It's another slow tune that takes some warming up to, but once it does, it really stands out.

Bitter Pill-A heavily melancholic song featuring wailing, pain-filled vocals from Rice-Oxley. While it's not a bad song, it feels like one of the weaker ones on the album.

Another Night On My Side-This one feels the most "country" of all the tracks, largely because of the wailing slide guitar that is featured. The lyrics are nice, but the whole thing feels a little sleepy and boring. It does feature a nice sort of male-female duet.

The 'Midnight Ghost'-This track is highlighted by a wonderful piano melody and vocal harmonies that evoke a classic southern folk song. It's another slow track that takes growing, but it's a nice song.

Platform 7-The album finally picks up with this rollicking tune that features train-track style rhythm, jumping piano, and bright, vibrant vocal harmonies. This is the tune that everyone gets up and dances to.

My My My-The tempo is brought back down for this ballad, which admittely features great instrumentation that includes a resounding harmonica and finger picked acoustic guitar. A very sort of "campfire" song, and a nice one at that.

Coming Home-Another slow tune that features wistful piano, chime-like percussion, and nice lyrics. It almost loses you with it's quiet sound, but the vocal harmonies save it.

Halo Of Fireflies-This track is definitely my favorite on the album. It's clear from the start of the track that it was a more intimate, stripped down recording from the laughter before it gets started. It features finger picked banjo, a drum brushed snare, accordion, a nice fiddle solo, and wonderful vocal harmonies that back up the main melody. Another slow one, but one that really keeps your attention.

The bottom line: Mt. Desolation is clearly a group made up of very talented musicians that can play a variety of instruments and produce some great vocal harmonies. Unfortunately, the album suffers from too many slow, quiet songs that don't produce a sense of flow when listening all the way through. The album is worth picking up, but interestingly enough, is better to listen to out of order.

Grade: B-