Midtones - Mountain

Midtones

Mountain
self-released; 2025

By Jamie Funk
​

On their third full-length album Mountain, East Nashville quartet Midtones turn their attention to the emotional middle ground, shaping an ambient folk-rock record that lingers in the quiet mechanics of daily life. The album’s premise is simple but resonant: meaning accumulates in the stretches between milestones, in the slow climbs, pauses, and steady forward motion that rarely announce themselves as victories. From the opening moments, I hear a band prioritizing texture and atmosphere, using restrained dynamics and patient arrangements to illuminate the rituals that define ordinary days.

Recorded in Nashville with collaborators including Bernie Chiaravalle and Jeremy Ferguson, the album maintains a close, intimate sound at times while allowing its arrangements to expand when needed. The music points toward persistence as its own form of resolve. The band has a familiar rock sound that sounds somewhere between "indie" rock and more radio ready rock. It hits a frequency not far from the band Doves who made an exceptional album recently. 

The title track “Mountain” opens with piano and a dramatic vocal delivery before widening into a dynamic arrangement that moves between hushed passages and fuller sections. The song brought to mind the expansive, road-worn atmosphere associated with The War on Drugs. It feels like an opener. 

“Won’t Be Long Now” follows with a direct rock pulse that carries an early-2000s indie sensibility in the vein of Arcade Fire, though its structure remains streamlined and accessible. “Simulations” drifts into a hazy, reverb-laced ballad, while “Here We Go Again” continues the album’s measured pacing. I found myself drawn to the slow-moving ambience of “All My Days,” which unfolds with careful restraint.

“Lockstep” stands out for its playful vocal looseness and rhythmic snap, channeling a sharp, dance-leaning energy reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand. This is where the band thrived in my opinion and a song that can fit for almost any occasion. 

“The Shadow Moves” and “Cry” reinforce the album’s steady emotional current, and the closing track “Please Don’t Be The End” arrives with a lo-fi character that feels intentionally subdued, an understated ending that favors reflection over finality.

When Midtones settle into groove-driven passages, I hear a tonal focus and rhythmic clarity that recall the taut interplay associated with Interpol. Those are the best moments on the album in my opinion. Overall, there are some solid songs here from beginning to end. Take a listen!

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