Originally from Wales but now Liverpool-based, three-piece Mountaineers mix some weird and wonderful sounds to intriguing effect. The intro to Ripen, the first single from the forthcoming album Messy Century, sounds alarmingly as if there is a bagpipe lurking in the background...
But it's OK - it's just the off-kilter electronica, soon overlaid by vocals that sound more California than the Valleys, which are in turn superseded by some stunning guitar riffs and warped keyboards.
The lyrics don't make a lot of impact but Ripen rocks along with constant twists and turns, consistently surprising and ultimately highly rewarding in its inventiveness.
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