TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2007
Off kilter jabbing of a single guitar opens Devils A Go-Go, the opening track to Wild Mountain Nation by Blitzen Trapper, which features a quirky mix of 60s-style psychedelia, 70s stoner rock, prog rock and country...with lo-fi production. Sounds like a lot to pack into a three-minute song, but if youre looking for a consistent output then head somewhere else. Nation is designed for the music fan with a short attention span, taking you on various excursions and throwing a dizzying amount of musical styles in your direction.
The boys of Blitzen Trapper (Marty Marquis on keyboards/vocals, Erik Menteer on guitar/keyboard, Drew Laughery on keyboard, Michael Van Pelt on bass and Brian Adrian Kock on drums and vocals) have adopted the slogan of creating your own mix CD without the use of an iPod or any other download service. Having said that, the music on the album holds very well together as legitimate songs.
Miss Spiritual Tramp brings more of the 70s blues-based hard rock influence with some country-style harmonica. Woof & Warp Of The Quiet Giants Hem sounds like if the hippies on college campuses in the 60s had started a marching band. Sci-Fi Kid sounds like the closest thing to what would be considered a normal indie rock song that could easily fit onto any internet radio station, but of course, the end of the song features some Casio-keyboard like percussion and Nintendo video-game like keyboards. BT just cant do anything straight forward and thats okay.
Wild Mountain Nation is an energetic mix of complex, playful, rousing and fun indie rock. The experiments never seem directionless and the diversity of the music doesnt take away from the cohesiveness of the album itself. Nation is as unique an album as youll find this 2007. - Stephon Johnson
