Little Mountain - Little Mountain

  by Malcolm Carter

published: 18 / 1 / 2015

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Review

The press blurb informs us that the debut album from London based trio Little Mountain is a set of "beautifully crafted songs…paying homage to the sunny, cosmic sound of the golden era of folk/rock, deep in the hills of Laurel Canyon." That’s some claim to live up to. The fact is that statement, as bold as it may seem, does sum up the music spread across these ten original songs perfectly, but it’s only part of the story. For although checking the credits a few times to make sure that Jonathan Wilson hasn’t been involved somewhere along the way is another indication of how well this trio have captured the sound they were aiming for. The band have, without a doubt, added more than a dash of their own individuality and vision to that classic Cali-rock vibe. The band was formed by Ross Godfrey who will be known to many for his ongoing work with the band Morcheeba. Here Godfrey has teamed up with his partner, Parisian Amanda Zamolo, and Steven Forshaw, originally from Stockport. Multi-instrumentalist Godfrey plays guitar, lap steel, bass, keyboards and drums, while Forshaw provides acoustic guitar and all three band members contribute vocally. The only ‘outside’ help comes in the form of the Mumlers' Will Sprott who plays guitar and lends his vocals to the song he co-wrote with Godfrey ‘Catch Me’, and Dan Joeright (Jim White, David Byrne) who fills the drum seat on the same song. The album was recorded at Hillside Studios in London and produced, engineered and mixed by Godfrey. From the off ‘Little Mountain’ sounds at once familiar yet totally contemporary. Mixing in not just elements but Titanic-sized segments of that classic Californian folk rock while retaining a band’s own uniqueness is, of course, nothing new but Godfrey and pals actually take this music to places few other artists could even dream of. It feels as if some artists are born to be part of the same band eventually. Without wishing to take anything away from the deserved success and acclaim that Ross Godfrey has already garnered from his work with Morcheeba, the music he is making with Forshaw and Zamolo sounds so natural. The whole atmosphere created by the ten songs on offer here is so warm and organic in some ways it feels like Godfrey has found his natural musical home with these musicians. But it’s not all Godfrey’s show. Amanda Zamolo takes the lead vocals on three tracks; her distinctive, almost fragile at times, vocals lend extra texture and shade to the songs where the lead is given over to her. The aforementioned ‘Catch Me’ is one of the songs on which Zamolo sings lead and was the first song to be recorded for this project. It’s not easy to place Zamolo’s vocals, or to give many comparisons. It is simply a thing of beauty that draws the listener into the song and holds them there. It’s a lazy summer afternoon song; the dreamlike quality of Zamolo’s vocals suits the laid-back feeling of the song perfectly. ‘What We Gonna Do’ marries Zamolo’s delicate vocals, still rooted in that classic folk/rock sound of the 1970s, to a musical backing that is totally contemporary. It shows a more experimental side to Little Mountain and is proof that there is more to this trio than simply recycling sounds of the past. ‘Tractor Beam’, the third song to feature Zamolo as lead vocalist, has an otherworldly feel to it but this time those haunting vocals are vying for your attention against some searing guitar from Godfrey. Not the first time while listening to ‘Little Mountain’ does Neil Young’s name suddenly enter your mind. Try ‘You Never Know’ for another slice of Crazy Horse-inspired heaven. And then there are the tracks where Forshaw takes lead. ‘Almighty Love’ which closes the album and which is one of two solo compositions by Forshaw opens gently with Forshaw’s acoustic guitar and aching vocals - “If winter comes and you ask me to leave/I don’t know if I’ll be able to breath/Every time I see you in a daydream/The leaves have all fallen from the trees.” It’s a heartbreaking vocal performance and when Zamolo adds her delicate tones to the chorus it’s enough to touch the hardest of hearts. But even that song pales against ‘Even More’, another acoustic based ballad that Forshaw wrote and sings, his slightly raspy voice sounding like it’s going to crack with emotion any second. Again Zamolo’s brief vocal contributions bring so much to the song. The song fades out on a gorgeous melody that leaves the listener begging for more. That the following track, ‘Sound Mirror’ is an (all too short) instrumental featuring a National Steel, acoustic guitar and some particularly effective percussion from Godfrey without interrupting the flow of the album one jot is proof that this band know exactly what they are doing and aiming for. For all the initial feelings that this little gem of an album had its roots in those Laurel Canyon hills, I’m pleased that I started this review saying that it was only part of the story. The longer you listen to this album the further away those claims seem; Little Mountain may well have taken inspiration from those golden days and do little in places to hide the fact, but there’s no denying that the trio have created something of their own here, and the more you are exposed to this music the more you realise that Godfrey, Zamolo and Forshaw are three very individual talents who, when playing together, create a new and beautiful music. ‘Little Mountain’ is released in the UK on March 16th but you can sample the album on the band’s website at http://www.littlemountain.co/listen/a/little_mountain but be prepared then to buy the album when it’s finally out. Even after just one play, it will end up on your must-have list.

Track Listing:-

1 Giving It Up
2 Catch Me
3 Tangled Lines
4 What We Gonna Do
5 Even More
6 Sound Mirror
7 Hide Me from the Darkness
8 Tractor Beam
9 You Never Know
10 Almighty Love

Band Links:-

http://www.littlemountain.co/
https://www.facebook.com/littlemountai