Customer Reviews

Wild Mountain Nation

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This record is a fun mixing of styles. There is hard rock, dance, alt-country, dance, and more. This mixed bag works on almost every track, each being engaging and unpredictable. If you like unpredictable indie-rock then this record is for you. Kudos to the band.

A note on the mastering: Like virtually all new rock records, this one is mastered way too loud. It is still listenable however. The damage done by the audio engineer is not excessive, it's tolerable. I wish bands would insist on proper mastering. it would benefit them as a properly mastered record is more likely to produce an emotional reaction in the listener. And thats how you get loyal fans, by touching people on an emotional level.

Blitzen Trapper gives me my hope back for rock music. Plus those of us who have seen and heard much less of it in the last decade. Here in PA, they don't play too many bands with talent, much less Indie Rock bands from Oregon unfortunately. Anyway, getting back to B.T's sound here, they sorta remind me in waves of what the Grateful Dead's best jam music sounds like, but wait, there's more, mixed with this at times the sonic spacey sounds of the Doves, and then add in a little Strokes megaphone effects for the singer occasionally, and lastly, blend in a touch of alternative country/folkly twang, and there you have it for their style. Not exactly what most bands could pull off with this much bravado-and bravo to them for achieving it wonderfully time and again. This is a band which deserves a huge following, and this album is my favorite of theirs. It's a must own for Indie-heads, or anyone who appreciates something fresh and new to the music scene.

Blitzen Trapper is one of those bands that at first listen, you're wondering who they are. I heard them being played at the local record store in Seattle (they're from Portland) and thought they had changed albums about halfway through. Apparently, their style is very different from song to song. This is a good thing, veering from monotony into unique blends of rock, folk, pop, and country.

The album begins with "Devil's a Go-Go", a straight up rocker with some nice changes throughout. This one leans more towards the straight up garage rock. Track 2 is the title track and is the most obvious single, with some nice country-tinged guitars and Led Zeppelinish vocals. This is a nice throwback and sounds amazing and surprising to be released in 2007. Maybe there is hope for rock (and roll). "Futures and Folly" dramatically changes gears, sounding like Paul McCartney/Beatles on I'll Follow the Sun or I'm Looking Thru You. "Miss Spiritual Tramp" again brings in the guitar fuzz, sounding like a Pavement/Zeppelin hybrid in my opinion. Not much melody but the guitar works nicely with the start/stop vocals. "Woof & Warp..." could've been pulled directly off of Piper at the Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd, and is a nice tripped out instrumental.

"Sci-Fi Kid" gets back into the true musical form, with a great start and upbeat vocal/guitar/drum, with some nice lead throughout. This is a standout track, and is wholly Blitzen Trapper's style. Try to pin down the inspirations and so many come to mind that it must be something new and refreshing. "Wild Mountain Jam" is a 1:05 country intermission jingle and is a nice place marker for the album.

"Hot Tip/Tough Club" again shifts genres/gears and is a bonafide piece of psychedelia, complete with effected vocals, synths plodding along in the background, drums blaring, guitars distorting. Songs like this make it very hard to identify this band. This is the song that made me think the store put on a different record. Truly amazing for a band to have so many different styles and creativity within them, and are virtually unknown. "The Green King Sings" starts with some Pavement/Guided By Voices-ish/early Flaming Lips jamming, although I may not be familiar enough with GBV to make that claim. Not my favorite track. "Summer Town" is a straight up pop ballad, with smooth crooning vocals. Reminds of me of David Gilmour's early works with Pink Floyd, but it truly is its own song.

"Murder Babe" comes in and sounds like what I think Blitzen Trapper are at their core. Nice guitar work, recalling the first 2 tracks on the album. Make sure you listen to this track all the way thru because the best is in the last 30 seconds. "Country Caravan" returns to the smooth, country/indie/pop blend and is beautifully constructed throughout. Songs like these last 2 make me think that there's much more going on here that I am aware of. This warrants repeated listens. I'm hearing Wilco/Yankee Hotel Foxtrot here. "Badger's Black Brigade" closes the album with some slowly pounding drums, slide guitar, & harmonica.

At the end of Wild Mountain Nation you're left wondering who these people are and how did they pull this off. It's kind of like a Flaming Lips album, where you can't believe that someone actually made and produced the eclectic sounds you've just heard, but unlike the Lips in style, drawing on many other inspirations and decades, a true ode to rock, country, and this thing we love called music. A must have album for me.

What an amazing album. Blitzen Trapper throw in everything bar the kitchen sink. So many bands spring to mind when listening to them. People keep saying Pavement and Beck. Honestly, I don't hear them too much. I can hear Badfinger, Lynard Skynard and Grateful Dead to name a few - most notably Badfinger. "Devil's A-Go-Go" is a quirky rocker. The song "Wild Mountain Nation" is a rustic rocker that is similar to My Morning Jacket. My personal favourite is "Futures & Folly". It's a beautiful soft rock song with a great harmony and chorus. "Miss Spiritual Tramp" is a great psychedelic wig out. "Woof & Warp of the Quiet Giant's Hem" is the weirdest of the bunch. "Sci-Fi Kid" is a great pop record with a nice futuristic feel. "Wild Mtn. Jam" is traditional country and calls to mind stuff like Flying Burritos and Grateful Dead. "Hot Tip/Tough Club" is a strange one. "The Green King Sings" is another good pop number. "Summer Town" is another highlight. It sounds like it was lifted off Dennis Wilson "Pacific Ocean Blue". "Murder Babe" is another ballsy rocker. "Country Caravan" is another brilliant country number. The final number "Badger's Black Brigade" is a slow burning country number. It could be the Grateful Dead.
All in all this is an excellent album. The songwriting is excellent. The songs are all short in duration. They feel like they are trimmed of all fat and excess - and that is a good thing.
Somewhere in the mix here are the ghosts of Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger. The same genius emanates from this record.
I'm over the moon to have discovered such a band

Excellent record throughout. Takes the jangly sound of the early Who and the scruffiness of Pavement without sacrificing melody. A real original recording. Every time I play it, someone asks: "Wow, who's that?"

"Wild Mountain Nation" by Blitzen Trapper is an eclectic album to say the least. The genres bounce from song to song and even within particular tracks. Smatterings of indie rock, country rock, and straight garage rock permeate this album. While there are a few clunkers particularly in the middle of the record, the strong songs more than make up for them. The first few tracks such as "Devil;s A-Go-Go" and "Wild Mountain Nation" are outstanding and instantly accessible. "Wild Mountain Nation" reminds me of Skynnard at their absolutely best. The third track, "Futures and Folly" is a long lost Shins song with harmonizing vocals and a whimsical melody. Overall, I believe anyone could derive some pleasure form this album. The singer is not blessed with an extraordinary voice, but he gets the job done. The band's creativity is definitely something to experience.

Hey, they sound like Zeppelin! Hey, they sound like the Beatles! Hey, they sound like TRL! Hey they sound like Beck!...Hey, they don't know who they are!