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Speck Mountain: Some Sweet Relief [Album Review]

Speck Mountain

Written by Fense

From the opening moments of “Shame On The Soul”, the first track off Some Sweet Relief by Speck Mountain, one is drawn into the group’s space-y, reverberation-heavy style of soft pop. With lengthy chord progressions, eerily soothing female vocal coos, and a predilection toward the softer side of psychedelia, one might draw comparison to Mazzy Star.

But the music contain within Some Sweet Relief sets Speck Mountain apart from the emotively romantic-tinged tunes of Mazzy Star, simply due to the fact that there’s more going on here. There’s more intricacy, seemingly more thought behind the musicianship. Where Mazzy Star, to my recollection, based several of their more popular tunes on simplicity, one listen to the atmospheric guitars and consistent, suave percussive beat in “Angela”, backed (yes, backed) by the sleepy Angela, oh Angela vocals demonstrate that.

Sure, the vocals here may be simple at times – or even borderline nonexistent as found in “Backslider” – but they are just obscure enough in tone and melody to be unique and refreshing. And when they extend further, beyond the tonal and beyond three words, the lyrics float softly above the instrumentation, as found in “I Feel Eternal” and “Some Sweet Relief”. Speck Mountain appeals to the surreal – one could imagine listening to this album in a wildly painted room filled with soft pillows and swirling, colorful lights. In a way, it’s an adequate replacement for drugs.

Speck Mountain: I Feel Eternal [mp3]
[audio:090206_speck_mountain_-_i_feel_eternal.mp3|titles=I Feel Eternal|artists=Speck Mountain]

Some Sweet Relief by Speck Mountain

Carrot Top Records [CD, 2009]

1. Shame On The Soul
2. Fidelity Shake
3. Angela
4. I Feel Eternal
5. Some Sweet Relief
6. Backslider
7. Backsliding
8. Twin Lines
9. Sister Water

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