Wild Mountain Nation
Blitzen Trapper
Score:68
Reviewer: Justin Pearsall
Label: Sub Pop (USA), Lidkercow (UK), Stomp (Australia)
Reviewed: Nov 19th '07, Released:2007
Blitzen Trapper’s Wild Mountain Nation, can be loosely classifiable as folk/pop/rock/garage/prog/jam band/bluegrass/country – encompassing everyone from The Grateful Dead, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Mars Volta, Ween and Supergrass. The benefit of this mess of styles is that it is very hard to grow tired of a sound that is constantly changing. But this diversity is also a dark side. Too often Blitzen Trapper’s melodic skill is underdone by some ill-fitting moments of noise rock.
Eric Earley, the band’s lead vocalist, thrives in the homespun environment of the recordings (think Dr. Dog). His ability to swim between sweet pop melody on ‘60’s pop rock numbers like ‘Futures & Folly’ and ‘Sci-Fi Kid’, and the crooning slacker of ‘Country Caravan’ allows the band the ability to genre-hop so successfully. That said, Earley’s versatility is easily met by bandmates who can convincingly recreate most settings. When focused on the right tunes the results are great.
However, songs like the discordant ‘Woof & Warp’ ruin any chance of the album having continuity – its placement next to the catchiest song on the album, ‘Sci-Fi Kid’, is comedic. Sonic partners to ‘Woof & Warp’, like ‘Miss Spiritual Tramp’ and the handful of other muddled moments also cheapen Wild Mountain Nation’s long term lifespan.
Even with the album’s obvious issues it is important to note that Blitzen Trapper should not simply confine their sound to that of a folk-rock band. They are far too talented for that. The highlights on the album lift it above the clutter of mediocre releases and there is a real originality in their sound. But finding a listenable middle ground for the band’s influences, something that album opener ‘Devil’s A-Go-Go’ proves is possible, and dulling down the more abrasive edges will allow Blitzen Trapper to take that next step as a band: making an album that is as rewarding as it is interesting.
