View Larger
Rate it!
Avg: 4.0 (153 ratings)
- Date Released: May 5, 2009
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Alternative
- Label: Jagjaguwar / SC Distribution
An indie-rock opera shot through the twinkly eye of a periscope
-
We Say...
Pink Mountaintops might be the lesser-known side project of Vancouver punk-indie rock vet Stephen McBean — frontman of the sludgier, stone-ier Black Mountain — but Outside Love, McBean's stunning third album under this rosy-hued moniker, adds a striking new chapter to his near-impeccable resume. There's a newfound gospel heft here, complete with backing chorus and the Bo-jangle'd tap of a tambourine. Outside Love is as majestic as any of his music to date, an indie-rock opera shot through the twinkly eye of a periscope, inspired (seemingly) by Jesus and Mary Chain, the Polyphonic Spree, and some homegrown Americana — E-Street meets Mermaid Avenue.
Despite a bevy of new players — including Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Sophie Trudeau and Destroyer's Ted Bois — it's the quiet songs that deliver the greatest impact. Check the achingly gorgeous title track and "While You Were Dreaming," Trudeau plying the Pink Floyd-ian guitar haze with her lovely voice — a counterpoint to lyrics that read like angry words etched on a tree trunk and marbled in blood: "And if I could find your heart / I would pull it from your chest / And smash it with my fist 'til it was bleeding." McBean's irreverence shines through in song titles like "The Gayest of Sunbeams," but there's enough depth here to give Outside Love an inside shot at winning you over. -
They Say...
Pink Mountaintops' previous release, the rather lo-fi Axis of Evol, felt a bit like Stephen McBean's tossed-off side project, but Outside Love sounds much more fully developed, reaching heights every bit as breathtaking as his main band, Black Mountain. The group zigzags through a few disparate styles here, but these changes in trajectory are smoothed into a cohesive whole by the haze of sleepy psychedelia that pervades throughout. They channel barroom country & western on "And I Thank You," while McBean's stunning duet with guest vocalist Jesse Sykes on the title track evokes the haunted, glacial slowcore sound of Low. She's actually one of several enchanting female voices that saddle up with his to create the album's consistently expansive, layered vocals, which fit perfectly alongside the Phil Spector-esque roar of reverb and saturation that frequently emerges. The feedback-laden production is also reminiscent of the Magnetic Fields' 2008 foray into Jesus and Mary Chain terrain, especially on the rollicking "Execution," which pits a rousing melody against sheets of white noise. To accompany the immensity of the sound, melodramatic themes concerning dying for love, living on the edge of desolation, and "angels burning in sin and flame" populate the songs, with the always first-person narration generally reveling in its own destruction. On the other hand, tracks like the harmonica-laden "Holiday" and album finale "Closer to Heaven" sound lyrically ebullient -- at least until you realize that it's only a product of their desperation. For all the drama, though, there's a remarkable sense of grandeur in this material, which comes from a mixture of blissful melodies and deliberate pacing. Album highlight "Vampire," for instance, is downright spine-tingling in its majestic build from a sparse beginning to a soaring coda, concluding with a rousing proclamation of "You can suck out the blood/But you can't kill the heart of my love." What makes Outside Love most compelling is that grim sort of optimism, delivered through a well-crafted sound that is as sedated as it is passionate, and simple as it is profound.
“ The indie iTunes — Hardcore music fans are migrating to eMusic, the iTunes Music Store's cheaper, cooler cousin.”
Rolling Stone
eMusic Tip
Paid downloads are counted towards an album discount but free downloads are not.
COMPLETE FOR FREE!
You can download the rest of the tracks from this album for free! Just click the Complete Album button.
We’re sorry this album can only be downloaded using paid subscription download credits.
We recommend you Save it for Later by clicking the Save for Later button shown just above this message. For a list of related albums you can download right now, check out these recommendations.
We'll give you 10 additional free credits to download this album and start your paid subscription.
Get 10 bonus credits on us if you download this album. Sweet!
| 01. |  |
Axis: Thrones Of Love |
4:50 |
|
| 02. | |
Execution |
3:53 |
|
| 03. | |
While We Were Dreaming |
3:55 |
|
| 04. | |
Vampire |
3:52 |
|
| 05. | |
Holiday |
3:22 |
|
| 06. | |
Come Down |
2:09 |
|
| 07. | |
Outside Love |
5:25 |
|
| 08. | |
And I Thank You |
6:21 |
|
| 09. | |
The Gayest Of Sunbeams |
4:13 |
|
| 10. | |
Closer To Heaven |
4:51 |
|
10 Total Tracks, 42:51 Total Length
Loading...
Playlists If you like The Pink Mountaintops, check out these member playlists
Credits
- Diego de Castillo - Vocals // Dale Nixon - Engineer // Colin Stewart - Engineer // Phil Wandscher - Lap Steel Guitar // Emily Millikan - Choir, Chorus // John Congleton - Engineer // John Congleton - Mixing // Tolan McNeil - Mandolin // Tolan McNeil - Pedal Steel // Tolan McNeil - Guitar (Electric) // Tolan McNeil - Engineer // Tolan McNeil - Performer // Keith Parry - Percussion // Keith Parry - Drums // Keith Parry - Performer // Jesse Sykes - Vocals // Jesse Sykes - Vocals // Jesse Sykes - Vocals // Ashley Webber - Vocals // Ashley Webber - Performer // Ted Bois - Organ // Ted Bois - Piano // Ted Bois - Performer // Lyndsay Sung - Drums // Joshua Wells - Guitar (Acoustic) // Joshua Wells - Piano // Joshua Wells - Conga // Joshua Wells - Drums // Joshua Wells - Performer // Sophie Trudeau - Organ // Sophie Trudeau - Percussion // Sophie Trudeau - Violin // Sophie Trudeau - Vocals // Sophie Trudeau - Whistle (Human) // Sophie Trudeau - Xylophone // Sophie Trudeau - Melodica // Sophie Trudeau - Performer // Stephen McBean - Organ // Stephen McBean - Synthesizer // Stephen McBean - Guitar (Acoustic) // Stephen McBean - Percussion // Stephen McBean - Piano // Stephen McBean - Drums // Stephen McBean - Guitar (Bass) // Stephen McBean - Guitar (Electric) // Stephen McBean - Vocals // Stephen McBean - Lyricist // Stephen McBean - Performer // Stephen McBean - Musician // Amber Webber - Vocals // Kathryn Calder - Choir, Chorus // Megan Boddy - Choir, Chorus // T.M. Bois - Photography // Cory Gangnes - Drums // Rachelle Reath - Choir, Chorus
Choose from over 7 million
music downloadseMusic features legendary and emerging artists in every genre: classic rock to classical,indie to international, soundtracks to spiritual, jazz to country and many more.
MP3 downloads work on any digital media player
With eMusic, you OWN your music without any restrictions. Burn music to a CD, play it on your computer, mobile phone or any digital media player - including iPod®, Zune® and Walkman®.
Songs available for 50¢ or less
eMusic subscriptions start at just $11.99 a month for 24 downloads - that's just 50¢ per song! And it gets better from there - our plans go as low as 42¢ per song!
Music Discovery
eMusic is about discovery. We make finding new music fun again with music recommendations from our award-winning team of music experts, member playlists and new music features.
Cancel anytime
With all the great music and site features we're pretty sure you will love eMusic. If not, no problem. You can cancel at any time and keep the music you have downloaded.
© 1992 - 2009 All Media Guide, LLC