From Wrexham, the Mountaineers are probably the nearest Wales will get to Dawn Of The Replicants. Like that Scottish band, the Mountaineers rely on demented vocals, unusual instrumentation and a bizarre, original approach to melodies. The songs are often brilliant: 'Ripen' is a great off-kilter beginning, 'It's Solid' and 'Want To Write You' master the trick of art rock recorded in a junk shop. On the genuinely uplifting 'I Gotta Sing' to the psychedelic pastiche of 'UK Theatre' they hit top form but they lose a little momentum when they experiment a little too much. The half-sung/half-telephone conversation 'Backgrounds' and the programmed beats of 'Bom Bom' don't really work out but on 'Gruppen' they do manage to pull off the unholy alliance of disco beats with distorted vocals. In fairness it would be harsh to discourage their playfulness because this would undermine the sense of creativity that is prevalent throughout 'Messy Century'.
From Wrexham, the Mountaineers are probably the nearest Wales will get to Dawn Of The Replicants. Like that Scottish band, the Mountaineers rely on demented vocals, unusual instrumentation and a bizarre, original approach to melodies. The songs are often brilliant: 'Ripen' is a great off-kilter beginning, 'It's Solid' and 'Want To Write You' master the trick of art rock recorded in a junk shop. On the genuinely uplifting 'I Gotta Sing' to the psychedelic pastiche of 'UK Theatre' they hit top form but they lose a little momentum when they experiment a little too much. The half-sung/half-telephone conversation 'Backgrounds' and the programmed beats of 'Bom Bom' don't really work out but on 'Gruppen' they do manage to pull off the unholy alliance of disco beats with distorted vocals. In fairness it would be harsh to discourage their playfulness because this would undermine the sense of creativity that is prevalent throughout 'Messy Century'.
print this review
email this review