Whether it was down to insight or purely serendipity, that Welsh boys MOUNTAINEERS should up sticks and end up in the currently revitalised Liverpool of the early 21st Century is to our advantage as the loveably offbeat creations they've been buffing up since setting about recording in their 'Pool-based Hot Trees studio have largely been pretty damn wondrous.
Both their second EP (technically self-titled, but generally referred to as the "Self-Catering" EP) and the recent "Ripen" single have suggested great things coming this way, and the good news is that "Messy Century" delivers comprehensively on the early promise.
Frontman Alex Germains has explained that the title "Messy Century" refers to the fact that "society is cosmopolitan now. The music that we make is influenced by the era we live in - so it comes out loose and messy" and you know what he means on repeated exposure to the album, which marries electronica to gently moving acoustic frameworks and forges a union which should live happily at least long into the future if not ever after.
"Ripen" again sensibly kicks off, but it's by no means the only memorable pop moment, with both the modern dub housing of "Sewing" and its' strange choir-type vocals and "It's Solid" (equal parts Super Furries and early Bowie, with wonky electronica shadowing the vocals) pushing through in the slipstream to establish a high quality factor which remains throughout.
Elsewhere, the lads seem equally adept at unadorned pop. Witness both "I Gotta Sing" and "Want To Write You", where Germains' voice is much cleaner than usual. "I Gotta Sing" is deceptively pretty, actually, with a definite edge of frustration entering Germains' vocal, though "Want To Write You" sounds like a straighter love song, swept up in a compter Motown bassline and tricksy stomp rhythm and Alex swooning: "rescue me from the poorhouse with kisses!" Bless.
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At a tangent, there's also things like "UK Theatre", which again sounds very live and harbours only a meagre electronic presence. Doesn't stop Alex's lyrics weirding out, however: at one point I swear he sings: "I love 'Agadoo', I'd do it standing next to you!" Bloody hell, take a few deep breaths, young man.
But Mountaineers still relish their loops and computers too and several tracks here feature some stunning electronic wizardry. For starters, check out "Belgique Limb"s weird compression and space age execution, with an exotic, heavily echoed stance and more than a touch of Joe Meek. Then there's the wibbly, minimal machine pop of "Bom Bom", with its' barely decipherable human voice and its' initial nod to synth pop pioneers like The Normal and finally the gentle postscript that is "Silent Dues", where rippling acoustic and subtle piano are joined by mosquito buzz and mini-moog to create an otherworldly morning after effect. Lovely and disquieting all at once.
Indeed, "Messy Century" makes all this genre-goading stuff we read and write about look an absolute breeze and its' ability to snaffle, reshape and present its' influences in a thrilling and often dead catchy new format never ceases to impress. It's a notoriously slippery climb, this pop malarkey, but these Mountaineers have carved a firm foothold for themselves and can surely see the summit.
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