Mountaineer
Giving up the Ghost

This is the fourth album by Mountaineer, the first one arrived in 2017 so they seem to be a fairly diligent band. But not only diligent as the two previous albums I have reviewed had been great as well, both receiving high praises from me. This third one goes in the same style when it comes to the cover, but it is green for Giving up the Ghost rather than red as the predecessor was, but it is still the same suggestive and diffuse, exciting-looking cover as before. So, the question is if the American sextet once again have cooked up something marvellous for us.

It is similar to what they have done before, fans will be familiar with the style. It is also a natural progression, the band has evolved compared to what came before, and that is always positive. It is music with atmosphere that has a strong alluring sense on me as a listener, I am drawn into the songs and just takes in its magic while doing whatever I do that becomes a bit of a background task thanks to the lure of the songs. They seem to have crafted this album carefully, with strong production, great vocals, and that really magical depth and dynamics that they can offer. It is not bad that they keep it short as well, with only 32 minutes you are kind of left wanting a little more which is always, always better than wanting the album to be shorter. An excellent production, there is nothing else to say about that.

And it is an album without particular weaknesses, it has a good feel, it has great songs, and it is enjoyable to listen to it. I think Mountaineer press the right buttons for most part. I can listen to this album several times over, as it has so many nuances and almost a hypnotic sound. It is probably their finest effort so far, but the previous ones aren’t bad either, all their albums I have reviewed have the same rating as I give this one the same as the previous two. Maybe it can be seen as a negative that there is no song standing out like a distinct single hit song or something like that, but I think it is great that it has seven almost equally strong songs that keeps me listening for 32 minutes.

I don’t think you can go wrong with this album; it should appeal to music fans all over the spectrum. Fans of the band will most likely adore Giving up the Ghost as it is another slice of great atmosphere and great songs. I certainly recommend checking it out, you are not likely to regret it as it is a possible candidate for the top ten of 2022. Great stuff.

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