Mountain Sounds’ gorgeous self-titled debut opens with a song entitled “Lion or the Bee”, which immediately demonstrates the range this duo has. Inflections of everyone from Midlake to The Shins to Fleet Foxes to Other Lives to Ramona Falls can be heard floating around Mountain Sounds in a hushed whisper. Throughout the course of Mountain Sounds, the band proves they’ve emerged at an incredibly high level of songwriting, composition, and are poised to be one of indie-pop’s Next Big Things.
Lyrics alluding to nature weave their way in and out of Mountain Sounds, complementing the band’s penchant for widescreen wide-open sounds beautifully. Mountain Sounds also stands out as a masterwork in production; not a note, instrument, or arrangement feels out of place, misused, or unnecessary. The record never once loses pace in sequencing and the band comes off seeming confidently assured and en route to a steady rise.