Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There are Mountains
Rarely does an album hook me in as quickly and profoundly as the independently released Why There are Mountains from Cymbals Eat Guitars. The first song, “And the Hazy Sea” just explodes at you in a manner that would be off-putting if it was just slightly more extreme. And then it relaxes a little, become a lot more peaceful, until it explodes once more. It is this raw quality that I enjoy such much about this album.
Cymbals Eat Guitars are another indie rock band from New York (that’s getting to be quite the pattern for me, apparently I’m really into the New York scene). Only, they’re not just another band, they’re a group of talented youngsters who have turned their influences into one of the better albums this year. They’re eager and loud and quite a lot of fun to listen to. They also draw comparisons to lots of great artists, like Modest Mouse, Stephen Malkmus, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and Sufjan Stevens.
They are also truly a product of the digital age, releasing this album unsigned. Which you gotta respect. I mean, they’re really good, surely they could get some kind of deal. But it also meant you had to look a little hard to scoop this gem up. Which you really should. Especially now that its up on places like iTunes.
Favorite Tracks: “And the Hazy Sea,” “Cold Spring,” “Wind Phoenix (Proper Name)”