MOUNT MORIAH
''MOUNT MORIAH''
APRIL 12 2011
34:40
1. Only Way Out/5:11
2. Social Wedding Rings/4:23
3. Plane/3:02
4. Lament/2:33
5. Old Gowns/5:41
6. Reckoning/4:54
7. We Don't Need That Much/2:46
8. Hail, Lightning/6:10
Phil Cook /Banjo
Jeff Crawford /Bass, Bass (Upright)
Bibis Ellison /Vocals (Background)
Ryan Gustafson /Bass
Daniel Hart /Violin
Eric Haugen /Pedal Steel
Heather McEntire /Guitar, Handclapping, Sleigh Bells, Tambourine, Vocals
Jenks Miller /Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Resonator), Handclapping
Mark Simonsen /Guitar
James Wallace /Drums, Guitar, Handclapping, Organ, Piano, Shaker, Vocals (Background)
Jenny Waters /Vocals (Background)
REVIEW
by Ned Raggett
On their debut album under the Mount Moriah name, following an earlier incarnation as Un Deux Trois, the duo of Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller take a turn toward classic rock and ramble -- perhaps surprising to anyone who only knows Miller through his black metal work -- in an utterly early 21st century moment with their easygoing approach to entrapping an idea of genre. (And frankly, Miller does a better job exploring this approach than My Morning Jacket does black metal, say.) Mount Moriah's primary voice, though, belongs to McEntire, who sings lead and plays while Miller and a wide-ranging group of fellow performers, from a variety of acts including Megafaun, St. Vincent, and Bowerbirds, contribute throughout. Inasmuch as any general approach has its stylistic traits, Mount Moriah's work is sometimes more enjoyable rather than remarkable. But the second song, "Social Wedding Rings," shifts to a sharp and slick feeling that's less 1971 backwoods than 1981 barroom, a little recapturing of that era's suppler AOR in McEntire's moody singing, his sharp portrayal of a troubled relationship, and the swift drive of the song. It signals that this disc isn't going to simply be yet another all-out fetishizing of Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris, but the bulk of the album definitely tries to find a way to make those tropes relevant once more. Happily, the partnership succeeds more often than not, with a song like "Old Gowns" letting them put their own quietly dramatic stamp on the proceedings; McEntire is in excellent voice here, while the slow, steady arrangement of acoustic guitar, quiet organ, and violin easily calls to mind a distant, lost dance filmed in sepia tone. The short and contemplative "Honey, We Don't Need That Much" is another winner, a gentle call for hope that's always been a mainstay for any couple up against it in a cruel world that suits 2011 all too well, sadly, but that makes both the sentiment and the gentle arrangement, down to the organ break, a melancholic winner.
BIOGRAPHY
by James Christopher Monger
North Carolina-based alt-Americana outfit Mount Moriah blend the neo-traditional indie folk of the Low Anthem with the fire and brimstone of Sixteen Horsepower. Formed in the late 2000s by Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller, both of whom had spent considerable time at the opposite end of the folk spectrum as members of Bellafea (post-punk) and Horseback (psych-metal), respectively, the project grew out the pair's long friendship and shared love of American folk music. Steeped in the dark, misty mountain lore of their Appalachian homeland and brimming with the fuzzed-out dark twang of their pasts, McEntire and Miller released The Letting Go in 2010, followed by an eponymous full-length outing in 2011, the latter of which featured guest spots from some of the region's finest players, including members of St. Vincent and Megafaun. Mount Moriah signed with venerable indie label Merge in late 2012 and had their album re-released on limited-edition vinyl in October of that year.
''MOUNT MORIAH''
APRIL 12 2011
34:40
1. Only Way Out/5:11
2. Social Wedding Rings/4:23
3. Plane/3:02
4. Lament/2:33
5. Old Gowns/5:41
6. Reckoning/4:54
7. We Don't Need That Much/2:46
8. Hail, Lightning/6:10
Phil Cook /Banjo
Jeff Crawford /Bass, Bass (Upright)
Bibis Ellison /Vocals (Background)
Ryan Gustafson /Bass
Daniel Hart /Violin
Eric Haugen /Pedal Steel
Heather McEntire /Guitar, Handclapping, Sleigh Bells, Tambourine, Vocals
Jenks Miller /Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Resonator), Handclapping
Mark Simonsen /Guitar
James Wallace /Drums, Guitar, Handclapping, Organ, Piano, Shaker, Vocals (Background)
Jenny Waters /Vocals (Background)
REVIEW
by Ned Raggett
On their debut album under the Mount Moriah name, following an earlier incarnation as Un Deux Trois, the duo of Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller take a turn toward classic rock and ramble -- perhaps surprising to anyone who only knows Miller through his black metal work -- in an utterly early 21st century moment with their easygoing approach to entrapping an idea of genre. (And frankly, Miller does a better job exploring this approach than My Morning Jacket does black metal, say.) Mount Moriah's primary voice, though, belongs to McEntire, who sings lead and plays while Miller and a wide-ranging group of fellow performers, from a variety of acts including Megafaun, St. Vincent, and Bowerbirds, contribute throughout. Inasmuch as any general approach has its stylistic traits, Mount Moriah's work is sometimes more enjoyable rather than remarkable. But the second song, "Social Wedding Rings," shifts to a sharp and slick feeling that's less 1971 backwoods than 1981 barroom, a little recapturing of that era's suppler AOR in McEntire's moody singing, his sharp portrayal of a troubled relationship, and the swift drive of the song. It signals that this disc isn't going to simply be yet another all-out fetishizing of Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris, but the bulk of the album definitely tries to find a way to make those tropes relevant once more. Happily, the partnership succeeds more often than not, with a song like "Old Gowns" letting them put their own quietly dramatic stamp on the proceedings; McEntire is in excellent voice here, while the slow, steady arrangement of acoustic guitar, quiet organ, and violin easily calls to mind a distant, lost dance filmed in sepia tone. The short and contemplative "Honey, We Don't Need That Much" is another winner, a gentle call for hope that's always been a mainstay for any couple up against it in a cruel world that suits 2011 all too well, sadly, but that makes both the sentiment and the gentle arrangement, down to the organ break, a melancholic winner.
BIOGRAPHY
by James Christopher Monger
North Carolina-based alt-Americana outfit Mount Moriah blend the neo-traditional indie folk of the Low Anthem with the fire and brimstone of Sixteen Horsepower. Formed in the late 2000s by Heather McEntire and Jenks Miller, both of whom had spent considerable time at the opposite end of the folk spectrum as members of Bellafea (post-punk) and Horseback (psych-metal), respectively, the project grew out the pair's long friendship and shared love of American folk music. Steeped in the dark, misty mountain lore of their Appalachian homeland and brimming with the fuzzed-out dark twang of their pasts, McEntire and Miller released The Letting Go in 2010, followed by an eponymous full-length outing in 2011, the latter of which featured guest spots from some of the region's finest players, including members of St. Vincent and Megafaun. Mount Moriah signed with venerable indie label Merge in late 2012 and had their album re-released on limited-edition vinyl in October of that year.