Moving Mountains could be the best unsigned band in America.
Man, that is a hell of a statement. However, with the release of their debut record, Pneuma, they've established themselves as a force in independent music. With equal parts Thursday, Explosions In The Sky, and The Appleseed Cast, these young men have created an extremely likeable album that runs the gamut of indie rock genres.
Pneuma is a very huge-sounding record, starting with a traditional rock setup and adding keyboards, vibraphone, cello, and trombones. While this sounds like the making of an absurd lo-fi indie record, Moving Mountains pull it off with grace and precision, resulting in ten tracks of beauty and intensity. Vocalist Greg Dunn's presence and range is astounding, highlighted on the climax of the eight-minute "8105." Although the vocals could be classified as "emo," when combined with the atmospheric qualities of the music, it works wonders.
What makes this release so special is that it appeals to such a wide range of tastes. The acoustic ballad "Sol Solis" marks a nice change of pace on the record, and the standout closer "Ode We Will Bury Ourselves" boasts a massive chord progression and powerful group chanting. Post-rock fans can look forward to in the instrumental interludes "Fourth" and "Bottom Feeder," and screamo listeners can whet their appetites on "Aphelion" and "Alastika." If, from these descriptions, it sounds like there's too much going on, the individual tracks are threaded together by a central theme, allowing Pneuma to flow and not become overbearing.
One would be hard-pressed to find a dull moment on this album - the maturity of the record is magnificent. It's extremely impressive that Moving Mountains recorded Pneuma themselves and released it on their own budget without the help of a label; if marketed correctly, this group could be the next big thing. Get yourself ahead of the curve.
