Speck Mountain

Speck Mountain are an ambient-soul band possessed as much by the grit of southern soul as the spell of infinite drones. Co-leaders Karl Briedrick and Marie-Claire Balabanian provoke each other with intuitive, womb-curled melody, exploded texture, and spiky, strutting rhythm—and so far I’m just talking about the guitars. Marie-Claire also keeps a full-sized Aretha loaded in her throat like some kind of ungodly spring reverb, but has the sense to only let her uncoil just enough, never overdoing it. Karl and Marie-Claire fill out the songs with lyrics in thrall to the mysteries of compulsion, and the ache and rapture of giving in.

Sonically Speck Mountain are in thrall to vintage effects and recording techniques, although they’re always looking for the future rather than the past. Their studio mixes are subtle and painstaking, booby-trapped all over with headphone-happy detail. Their live sets project a loose, narcotic swagger, taking off from atmospheric majesty into full-on hypnotic assault.

DISCOGRAPHY:
Some Sweet Relief (coming 3/17/2009)
Summer Above (2007)
Blood Is Clean cds/7" (2008)

VENUS – 4.5/5 Stars “Balabanian’s voice leads the way from soft coos to bluesy wails. Pulsating electric guitar riffs, creepy organ chords, and campfire-style backing harmonies round out each track, practically compelling the listener to lay back, turn out the lights, and stay awake until the last note fades. (Some Sweet Relief)

STEREOGUM – “Band To Watch….their dream pop revels in reverb, and slowly marches to a tambourine-marked pulse and Marie-Claire’s crystalline vocal beam.”

DUSTED – “It’s space rock made with warm organic instruments, pop filtered through the language of the subconscious, and, finally, a waking dream too beautiful to shake off."

SPIN.COM – “The soundtrack for a dreamy, Valium-shaded red-eye between the coasts.” (Summer Above)

MOJO – 4/5 Stars (Summer Above)

UNCUT – 11th Best Americana Album of 2008 (Summer Above)

PICCADILLY RECORDS (UK) – “A masterclass in understated simplicity, Summer Above proves that less really is more… A near perfect record as effective in the drowsy early morning as it is in the late night comedown.” *Voted 5th Best Album of 2007

TOKION – “When a band nails music like this so perfectly, it makes everyone else look a bit lazy.”