Though they don’t do much to disguise their influences, this quartet from New Haven, Connecticut, kick up a deeply satisfying din by burrowing into their psychedelic comfort zone. On the recent eponymous album, their sixth full-length in total but first for Chicago’s ever-reliable Trouble in Mind imprint, Mountain Movers use five extended tracks to reflect different points of reference: “I Could Really See Things” suggests a more extroverted Spacemen 3, “Everyone Cares” embraces a loose, almost jazzy groove and a languid vocal sound recalling the Velvet Underground, and “Vision Television” conveys the shambling, distended thrust of Swell Maps. Across the board, the combo can’t shake their abiding love for feedback and overdrive, using in-the-red-guitar machinations as raw sculptural matter. Despite their predilection for unkempt noise, Mountain Movers exhibit a strong focus on the record, with drummer Ross Menze and bassist Rock Omonte showing an impressive looseness that’s got nothing to do with sloppiness. On “Angels Don’t Worry” the former relies on cymbals much more than snare—at least until guitarists Dan Greene and Kryssi Battalene hit the effects pedals. v
The Mountain Movers balance a love for overdrive with a disciplined focus
