Black Mountain
In the Future (Jagjaguwar)
ESSENTIAL "Queens Will Play"
How one band can sound so distinctive while seeming to channel every psychedelic-rock outfit that came before it is something of a mystery. But with its feet planted firmly in the past, Vancouver-based Black Mountain nonetheless takes a big step forward with its sophomore album, "In the Future." There's no questioning Black Mountain's debt to its genealogy: The heavy blues-based grooves and gritty, spacey guitar work owe much to early Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, and Hawkwind, particularly on tracks such as "Stormy High," "Evil Ways," and the nearly 17 way-out-there minutes of "Bright Lights." But with a dimensional knack for arrangement all its own, Mountain balances out the riffage with intense constructions like "Angels" and "Tyrants," and melodic psych-folk tracks such as "Stay Free" and "Night Walks," crafting a landscape where the rests complement and enrich the headbanging builds. Indispensable to the album's magic is the stepped-up role of supporting vocalist Amber Webber. Alternately hushed and howling, Webber is the guiding voice behind many of the album's best moments, and at least one clue as to why they sound so fresh. [David Kieley]
Black Mountain plays at the Middle East Upstairs Sunday.
