Amplifier Mountain by ULV
Rock duo ULV make an ardent return with their sophomore album Amplifier Mountain, personifying unkempt modern-rock through their stylistic vision and DIY arctic vision. Following on from their debut album Revenant, ULV see to prove themselves capable to not only move forward as songwriters but also as producers with their progressive and highly ambitious second home spun album.
Teeming with an ample supply of immense guitar riffs and towering percussive arrangements this twelve track album definitely earns its name with title and intro track ‘Amplifier Mountain' setting the standard of what's to come. Welcomed by cagey drums and jagged overdriven guitars this presence of indulgent and well structured instrumentation is a consistent driving force throughout, being the fabric that everything else almost relies upon for stability. Songs such as ‘Face The Wall’ and ‘Citizen of Nowhere’ are a representation of the extraordinary sonic extent ULV are capable of creating, with walls of glorious reverberated guitars and ornate percussive tones.
Although lacking the stability of memorable topline melodies and accessible lyrics in some songs the consistency of rich guitar tones and incisive melodies gives the album its buoyancy, while lead single ‘Your Guitars To High’ does well in dressing it up in a more lightly-hearted style with a cathartic approach. ‘Weird Marbles’ seems to be the highlight and saving grace of the project with a stylistic shift towards indie-rock with syncopated funk rhythms and clever countermelodies brought through the bass line.
Penultimate track Now You Are King brings Amplifier Mountain to a cinematic climax with an elaborately dramatic and excessively atmospheric soundscape verging on eight minutes. Feeling like the full stop at the end of the book ULV see to hit one last time with ‘Big L.O.V.E’s’ punchy drum intro, turning that full stop into a somewhat jading semicolon as the album is drawn to a more optimistic conclusion.
To say the recording is perfect would be a lie, however part of the beauty is in how rough cut and authentic to the artist the project is while being a timestamp to where the band are artistically. With some really great moments and a fluid motion pulling through all twelve tracks there are definitely enjoyable moments to hold onto while being a great showcase of sonic dexterity.
