A couple of weeks ago I reviewed “House Shape,” a relatively exciting, if somewhat disappointing track by Mount Eerie. Now we have another track called “To The Ground” available for streaming, and while it utilises the same sort of disconnected style and sound as “House Shape,” it is, to this listener at least, a more interesting and rewarding listen. While “House Shape” revelled in its chaotic latter-half, “To The Ground” has a more relaxed pacing, with softer percussion and synthesizer melodies and subtle piano flourishes, and, perhaps more importantly, more coherent vocals that allow the listener to delve deeper into Elverum’s artistic vision.
While “To The Ground,” isn’t breaking any major new territory, it’s an impressive listen insofar as it’s unpredictable, embracing chants and odd, nostalgic noises throughout that keep things in an introspective mood. At times sounding as if a deliberately midi-sounding file type, and ending with the hand-clapping percussion stretching beyond the rest of the music as if to applaud Elverum, the latest track to drop from the upcoming Clear Moon effectively gels with the sounds on display in “House Shape”; while the record may not the most impressive listen of the year, it will at least have solid sonic continuity.
