EP Review :: Desert Mountain Tribe - Desert Mountain Tribe

Desert Mountain Tribe

Desert Mountain Tribe

March 26 2014 (DMT)

8/10

Words: Leanne Crowley

Rising from the dark depths of London in 2012, Desert Mountain Tribe are a psych rock trio who have caused quite a stir on the live circuit supporting big names such as The Cult of Dom Keller, The Lucid Dream and The Telescopes, now they unleash their debut recorded work.

Opening track ‘Take A Ride', with its plucked guitar introduction and addition of drums before the vocals finally kick in, is one of full-on psychedelic bliss. As the chorus resounds, the vocals go off-key and all three elements of the band complement each other in perfect unison; vocalist Jonty Balls taking things to another level entirely as the track concludes.

‘Coming Down' starts on a slow introduction, before the guitar bites and the volume increases. Strong vocal presence once more dominates, but the highlight of the track comes in the instrumental interludes where the musical talent of the Jahn brothers is displayed, with Philipp on bass and Felix on drums. The longest track on the EP, it offers hints of Night Beats and their other psych influences can be seen to combine in fine form.

‘Rolling' offers off-tone guitar and moody drums to open, when the vocals kick in the guitar riffs and lyrics seem to work in perfect harmony. The lingering vocal notes of lead singer Jonty enchant and draw the listener in, a very strong psychedelic vibe runs throughout, especially in the instrumental middle section of the track. The vocals kick back in before the track ends as suddenly as it began.

Concluding the EP, ‘Riders to the Sea' has a more upbeat opening than the other tracks, a tapped drum beat for the majority of the song is juxtaposed against swirling vocals which are very reminiscent of shoegaze, another popular genre which often crosses paths with psych. The track slows to an almost halt before speeding to a short and sudden end.

Although brief and concise, this EP serves as a taster of what Desert Mountain Tribe can truly create. They have offered us a tantalising glimpse of what their debut LP (set for release this summer) is likely to contain. In the meantime, we will just have to make do with catching one of their tantalising live performances.