Slipped disc #19: Mountaineers, plus a live notice

As we, finally, come to the penultimate disc of this series of 20 albums we missed to review for variety of reasons and you failed to buy it (whatever your petty excuse may be), we are proud to present, perhaps - introduce you, to one of the more interesting bands around the UK over the past few years. No, not The Carol - they’ve outstretched themselves, but Mountaineers, the fellow Deltasonic label-mates once they toured with.

‘Messy Century’ is so sonically delicate, as fragile and alluring as a mirage but also as luscious as country air… Understated, a beauty of quiet demeanour, a musical watercolour of impressionistic nature, ethereally distant to make one feels like grabbing a hiking gear and going for a walkabout. Strings, sounds of big orchestra-sizes, minimalism, FXs, imaginative setting, genre-free and imagination-enhanced.

Floating in on a sound that could have been taped from a transistor radio, ‘Ripen’, blossoms into a track that The Kinks would have made if they had been on different medication and playing at the wrong speed. The strange and fascinating world of this lot is full of noises that will delight any discerning listener, tuned into adventure in sound. ‘Sewing’ is initially psychedelically funky but ends with clipped rhythm and claustrophobic vocal-mix…

Aside these 13 tracks - superb are ‘It’s Solid’, ‘Belgique Club’, ‘Backgrounds’, ‘All My Life’, among the remaining goodies - there is a mini-bonus, all packaged in the very economic 47 minutes. ‘Messy Century’ delivers diversity, sonic-galore, trip-osity ensured… The reason could be the trio’s backgrounds, full of eclectic creative ancestries. [The fact is also that they have travelled extensively, too.]

Ceri James comes from a massive musical family: his granddad used to make violins for a living and his Grandma worked as a pianist in the Vienna conservatory. He’s most proud of his great grandfather who, he says, “Invented the gamba ballet shoe that’s still in use today.”

Tomas Kelar is Czech. His mother is the Czech Republic’s foremost Gypsy singer whilst his auntie, Tomas explains, is a notorious “avant-garde artist who plays the violin, sings and makes squeaky noises.” Alex Germains’ granddad was a ringmaster and his grandmother a trapeze artist in a travelling circus. Both of his parents were classical musicians. With all this stuff taken in before they met each other, “Our sound is all these things combining,” Alex concludes with accuracy of a sniper.

The members met whilst growing up in the Welsh town, somewhat appropriately named, Hope but their school-band disintegrated into four years of individual soul searching. After re-grouping, few EPs followed, supported by tours; the band is now based in Liverpool where they have relocated their Hot Trees studio.

As someone mentioned - new purveyors of the future perfect. The question is - are you ready for something that can be even more outré than The Coral?

9/10
~ ~ ~

ULU, London
18 February 2004

Supporting The Bees - the Isle Of Wight’s band returning after the 2002’s Mercury Music nomination - Mountaineers don’t get much space, time nor special considerations and all they are left with is - music. That appears not to be a problem in their case and sounds float like a fairy in a tale.

It is a short set leaving us with an impression that the boys were just warming up but it was easy to spot potential as wide as a parallel universe. Thus, the headlining dates in March are bound to be something - eventful!

Of course we don’t know about tomorrow [alas, not even if there would be one] but we’d like this to be played as its soundtrack.

Tour dates:

20 March - Academy 2, Liverpool
21 March - Academy Bar, Birmingham
22 March - Islington Academy, London
23 March - Metropolis Lounge, Peterborough
24 March - Soundhaus, Northampton
25 March - Chinnerys, Southend
26 March - Barfly, Cardiff
27 March - Esquires, Bedford
28 March - Princess Charlotte, Leicester