Mountains: Centralia

Brooklyn drone duo Mountains layers generative tone structures, serrated noise, and pure acoustic melody to achieve an epiphany via sound. At times, the duo rivals Stars of the Lid’s nocturnal revelations if they weren’t so obsessed with David Lynch, or Rene Hell’s terminal symphonies without the uppers. Centralia’s finest moments largely result from a juxtaposition of subtle shifts in acoustic guitar themes and expansive flourishes of electronic processes. Much like the Berlin masters of kosmische musik, Mountains explore their curiosity of sound by means both electronic and analogue. From the all-too-brief “Identical Ship” to the album’s centerpiece “Propeller,” expansive textures and beauty-through-noise almost tangibly flow out of the speakers, cramming every available space with vibrant sound. All you can do is drift in its wake. (4 out of 5 stars)