The Tape

Album Review: Cymbals Eat Guitars-Why There Are Mountains

Written by hKWAP on Monday, 30 of March , 2009 at 1:46 pm

*Disclaimer* This review is about two weeks late. Things have been pretty hectic lately, but I feel that this album definitely warrants a write up, however slightly out of date it may be. 

When I first listened to Why There Are Mountains (henceforth referred to as WTAM), the first thing that caught my attention was the bass. In an era where DIY noise-core reigns supreme, the deep, punchy sounds of the electric bass, an instrument that throughout the decades has become a rock staple, has taken a back seat to excessively distorted, and droning guitars. Bassist, Neil Berenholz conjures up walking lines reminiscent of music luminary Paul McCartney and even a refined Flea. This bass heavy sound is evident throughout the LP and adds a somewhat vintage flavor to this very unique release. This is not to say that they are the anti-noise. In fact, raucous screaming and melodic drones sneak their way into quite a few tracks including the amorphous “Share”, and my personal favorite, “And The Hazy Sea”. To me, the bands sound draws from the somewhat retro qualities of Pavement, but also exhibits the innocent, adolescent vocals which I associate with the Mae Shi. This Malkmus inspired sound is apparent on “Some Trees”, the most upbeat, but perhaps the darkest on the album. The guitars on WTAM also lend themselves to the aforementioned “vintage sound” as they are far more melodic than the distorted, textural sound that has become the indie rock standard as of late. Another standout track is the loping “Indiana”, which features some sci-fi electronic ambiance, Sufjan-like horns, and possibly most tuneful vocals on the entire album. Another highlight is “Wind Phoenix”. This raucous tune epitomizes all of the interesting qualities of Cymbals Eat Guitars and builds to a powerfully rhythmic climax. Overall WTAM is pretty special and its singularly unique blend of boystrous vocals, refined melodies, and throwback sensibility point to a very interesting future for Cymbals Eat Guitars. 

Here’s a cut off WTAM…

Cymbals Eat Guitars- Indiana

Category: Albums

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