Gungor: I Am Mountain (review)
Gungor: I Am Mountain
Gungor is sure to be the best band you have not yet heard.
Accidentally acting under the radar, the band’s 2013 release I Am Mountain, went largely unnoticed in the NPR and Pitchfork community. Make no mistake though, Gungor’s third LP is a tour de force of a band that functions completely unhindered by genre labeling or audience expectations.
Fronted by Michael Gungor and his wife Lisa, Gungor considers themselves a musical collective; a rotating group of musicians that come in and out to help record their records, as well as play live. This may help to explain the various musical stylings found on I Am Mountain.
The record opens up with as good as any indie rock/synth anthem, the title track proves to be an accurate indicator of how unpredictable the rest of the album will prove to be. In the tracks following, the listener gets a good feel of a band that will bend over backwards to not be pegged into one specific genre.
On the second track of the record, what should logically be an even more upbeat and catchy indie rock/synth piece, is instead replaced by what can only be described as a classical guitar fueled, Mexican ballad. It’s these sort of surprises throughout I Am Mountain that show Gungor’s intention of showcasing just about every trick they can think of. Surprisingly though, the albums sequence could not be stronger
For every slow song there is a foot-stopmer that blindsides the listener. For every foot-stomper there is a delicate song that begs the listener pause to question the meanings of life.
Gungor did not create a masterpiece. But what they did create is a truly refreshening piece of art, that is sure to appeal to any sort of open-minded audience.
Overall score: 8/10
