mountaineer! - family trees

Mountaineer!

Family Trees
self-released; 2013

3.7 out of 5

By Carly Bush

Mountaineer! might appear a simple solo project with humble beginnings, written and recorded in Danny Poissant’s bedroom while attending the University of California in Irvine, but it is much more layered and complex than you may be expecting, with influences such as The Dodos to Miniature Tigers, and every single instrument is played by one individual.

It may only be a hobby for him, but Danny Poissant's debut album, Family Trees, sounds anything but amateur. Its allure is in its quaint haziness and what it lacks in polish, it makes up for in charm; it has all the hallmarks of a potentially highly successful indie rock project, should he wish to pursue music more seriously. Heavy reverb, jangling guitar reminiscent of Real Estate's debut album, and memorable melodies all fall together gracefully. Even the intentionally grainy sound effects, including waves hitting the shore and wild bird calls on the title track, are hauntingly natural when paired with quavering, echoing vocals.

Not every single song has lyrics, but each low-fidelity track has enough clanking high-neck guitar plucking and morose, arbitrary chants and yelps to stand out and capture one's attention nonetheless. Each song is short and blissfully sweet, and what lyrics do exist are darker in content than the music itself would suggest. This seems to be a common theme in indie music at the moment and Mountaineer! carries on the trend exceptionally well. "Speakeasier" segues gently into the more lighthearted but loud "Cannonball," which breaks the streak of solely instrumental tracks with simple lyrics and a crashing climax at the very end. 

"Let's Get Divorced!" is a Hawaiian-sounding song with one of the happiest melodies I've heard in a long time, but the subject matter is as solemn as the title indicates. Mountaineer! ironically and playfully mocks serious topics and makes life's hardships sound blissfully cheery. It's a brief, endearing, and somewhat wild ride that I found thoroughly enjoyable, and hopefully Poissant continues making music long into the future.