Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Mt. Doubt - The Loneliness of the TV Watchers

Leo Bargery's Mt. Doubt project is back to bring us their latest set of indie rock ballads, and the material is a little bit as before and a little bit different.  On The Loneliness of the TV Watchers Leo's expressive baritone remains, and the themes remain dark.  But the arrangements and, at times, the tempo, inject a welcome dose of pop smarts and energy.  The result is a five song set that is the most consistent and accessible of the band's two year career to date, and presents a very solid case for following Mt. Doubt as it continues to grow.

The EP commences with the sprawling "A Natural Swimmer", on which Leo balances the fatalistic subject with a decidedly uptempo. pop-oriented arrangement.  "Tourist" follows with a dose of humor, as well as providing the most indie pop moments of the EP.  Not wanting us to start pigeonholing the band as 'former rockers', "Reference Books" arrives next to remind us that the '80s and '90s did exist, and we enjoyed grunge.  "Purity" then provides a nice change of pace, both down-tempo and a bit downtrodden; life is like that sometimes, and Leo doesn't want us to forget it.  The grand finish is provided by "Soft Furnishings", a sprawling piano track that builds nicely as we are warned to avoid the temptation of giving up and getting all too comfortable not trying.  In our view there isn't a weak track in the set, but you can test that below and at the Bandcamp link.

The Loneliness of the TV Watchers is out now in digital and CD formats via Scottish Fiction.






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