In Case You Missed It: Moving Mountains Go Out With A Beautiful Bang

–Remembered by Michael Hogan

Before I get started, I have to be honest with you guys: I feel a bit of trepidation including this album in our ICYMI series. Those of you out there that know who Moving Mountains are LOVE them, and I mean ferociously so. I’ve only ever heard two responses when Moving Mountains are brought up; either “they’re amazing”, or “who the hell are Moving Mountains?” I don’t know if I’ve ever really heard a bad word spoken about them, except in response to their rather sudden and supposedly permanent hiatus. So those that fall into the former category, this will be a sort of ‘duh’ article for you – of course you know this album, and of course you know it’s awesome. For the rest of you, I’m going to need your undivided attention for a few minutes.

Moving Mountains is a rather hard band to describe. Throughout their discography they never stopped progressing, with each album representing a few steps in a completely different direction from the last one. At the same time, they never did it like anyone else; each album could only have been written by Moving Mountains, no matter how different it was. They first really broke on to the scene with their positively epic Foreword EP, complete with 9-minute post-rock-tinged anthems that would make Explosions in the Sky blush. This actually got them roped in with the post-rock scene from here on out, regardless of their evolving style. From there they made their way to a more traditionally post-hardcore sound – heavier bits, some light breakdowns, even the odd scream here and there – with their second full length album, Waves.

But the album I’m here to talk about was their third and final full length, their self-titled album. It was, one last time, a very different direction for the band. They seemed to have settled down quite a bit when writing this one. It’s dreamy, it’s lethargic,; it’s an all-around relaxing and reverby indie rock album that when placed in the timeline of their other albums seems like the perfect sound for them to work their way into. It’s undoubtedly their most mature and well-composed effort; every little detail –from the subtle horns in tracks like “Swing Set” to oft-used, long-sustained reverbs that help give the album a more characteristically Moving Mountains feel – is just perfect.

It’s also a deliberate album. It may often seem to meander through its tracks, but even when this is the case it still holds onto the vehement passion that made me fall for Moving Mountains in the first place. This is the sort of album that makes you walk a little slower and turn it up a little higher, tuning out everything going on around you in the real world so you can let the music really take hold. That may sound a little melodramatic, but the music never comes of as such; it’s an honest, beautiful album that I wouldn’t hesitate to call their best. It’s a shame it didn’t get more exposure – due in large part to their non-existent tour in support of the album before their break up. Because of that, it remains a favorite of the Moving Mountains faithful, a sort of personal requiem for their remarkable career.

So if you missed this album for some reason, or have never had a chance to check out Moving Mountains, please do yourself a favor by picking it up and giving it a listen. I’ve gotten you started below.

As always, please feel free to alert us to any music you would like to see featured in our In Case You Missed It series by emailing us at contact@thealternatefrequency.com.