I was already lured by the previous single “Northbound”, dropped a few months ago, from the Canadian outfit, as I have a penchant for meandering, layered and intricate guitar lines from Felt, The Smiths, Meat Puppets to Real Estate, DIIV and so on.
Barrie, Ontario based dreamy indie-rock 4-piece Mount Mural, made up of Clayton McMillan (vocals, guitar), Kyle Gottschalk (guitars, synths, effects), Calvin Amadeus Zacs (bass, synths), and Evan Smith (drums), do so at their own way adding dashes of shimmering atmospheric shoegaze reverberations, deceptively drowsy vocalizations, 90s emo and post rock’s reflective interludes, and penetrating deflagrations to create a harmonious kaleidoscopic universe of sounds and atmospheres that flow, oscillate and radiate bright melodic weaves, punctuated by mesmeric repetition and seductive ripples, extending towards feverish yet immersive landscapes, clouded by the subtle shadows of inner unease.
Following a long period of two years hiatus, the quartet have just dropped their third single of 2020, the entrancing “Sentient”.
On a vibrant bed bustling with scattered, skipping, off-tempo drum beats and serpentine hearty bass palpitations, infused with warm synth pads, convulsive coils of sparkling guitar trills gradually pour into obsessively mesmeric persistence, alternating with hypnotic, iridescent spiral trails, slightly abrasive forceful ascending riffs, and piercing high pitched surges of pent-up emotional intensity, swaying in synchronicity with dreamy hazy distressed whispers, releasing unfulfilled dreams into the anxious tapestry of insomniatic unrest.
“Sentient” captivates from the outset with its rich, dizzying guitar work and distinctive melodic quality, while gradually revealing itself after a further listening in all its intriguing nuances.
Keep up with Mount Mural:
Photo by the @connorytheballantyne
