BASTARD MOUNTAIN - ALBUM REVIEW

Bastard Mountain  - Farewll, Bastard Mountain (Song, by Toad Records) 
Bastard Mountain - Farewell, Bastard Mountain

As band names go, Bastard Mountain is pretty cool. It's also the way I imagine Peter Kay would react upon climbing half way up Everest and realising that it isn't the summit. 'Farewell, Bastard Mountain' is a collaborative effort from a whole host of different band members and is an understated triumph of folky delights as instantly exemplified by the opening two tracks 'Meadow Ghosts' and 'Drone Armatrading'. There is a subtle beauty to this stuff that seeps out via the strings on 'The Mill' or the delicate strumming on 'Swam Like Sharks' or the sweet, sweet countrified vocals on 'Something On Your Mind'. This is certainly not album for those that like things at high octane levels but if you like to stare out at bleak coastal scenes on grey, blustery days then this might just be the album for you.

The nearly mumbled vocals of 'Pissing On Bonfires' draw you in and wrap you in the warmth of the guitar notes rumbling out of my headphones before 'Old Habits' ambles in like an arthritic Italian donkey with eyes full of wisdom and a soul full of stories. 'Palisade' is a Nick Cave tune through and through with long Cello drones providing the nearest thing to a melody while 'My Crime' is a sparse and haunting piece of gorgeousness in the vein of First Aid Kit or Johnny'n'June. The album finishes up with 'New Boy', probably the most lively track in this collection, which has a real sense of 6 Day Riot about it as the Scottishness seeps from every orifice. Like I said, not an album to go jogging to but a stroll in the bleak wilderness might be the perfect time for this kind of tender beauty.

More information: http://www.robstjohn.co.uk/


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