Moving Mountains
Waves

"Eqquestichicazzosono?!" many might wonder. The more attentive ones, however, will know that these guys from the State of New York are (perhaps) worthy successors of the Appleseed Cast.

We had last heard from them in 2008 with the superb "Foreword". The inaccuracies of the already excellent debut "Pneuma" had, in fact, diminished. With "Waves" we received confirmation of a band in top form, capable of surprising us by changing the direction of their proposal. The sounds become less intricate and more incisive. The guitar is more massive (and well-produced), and the drums are also more pronounced and powerful.

When I first listened to "Tired Tiger" I couldn’t believe it was the same band that used guitars as a tasty backdrop and the voice as a filler that was never boring. The similarities with Thrice have become more significant (no coincidence they’ll be touring together starting late September in the States) taking away (alas) that dose of uniqueness that made me go crazy for them. The impact, I admit, was negative. I was afraid that Moving Mountains had turned to a type of rock or post-rock more leaning toward the mainstream. Not because they resembled Thrice (a band I love), but because I needed (and I don't think I’m the only one) something more ethereal and less confined to the usual verse-chorus-verse-chorus scheme. The feeling of disorientation lasted only a few listens. "Waves", besides being an excellent record, manages to condense everything into less pompous, shorter songs with catchy yet never trivial choruses. In short, I ignored my own prejudices and let myself be carried away by the notes of songs like "Where Two Bodies Lie", or masterpieces like "Full Circle".

Not everything is perfect. Some tracks suffer from an incomplete maturation. It's hard to understand how they will evolve in the future. The post-hardcore echoes are still present, but never invasive. Will they return to writing more intricate and instrumental pieces? Moving Mountains will probably find their way with the right mix of Pneuma/Foreword sound with that of Waves.

For now, let's enjoy this latest effort, without asking ourselves further questions. I'm sure someone will like it.