REVIEWSBlack Mountain, ‘In The Future’

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• SPIN Rating:7 of 10

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Label: Jagjaguwar

Singer/guitarist Stephen McBean still sounds like the man who fell to Earth -- only to land in the woods. Three years after his band's striking, self-titled debut, Black Mountain refine their position as the psychedelic hard-rock/goof-folk revivalists that you can actually stand for an entire album (though the 17-minute-plus "Brights Lights" pushes it). Maybe it's the Canada in them, but this quintet's take on all of its component parts -- guitar-hero soloing (one-third of "Tyrant"), spacey balladry ("Night Walks," "Stay Free," the middle third of "Tyrant"), and thunderous prog ("Stormy High," the final third of "Tyrant") -- never comes off as overthought or too cocky.

Now Hear This:Black Mountain - "Tyrants" DOWNLOAD MP3

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