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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Sun Wave Mountain Cave

Familiar To Me

Review by Gary Hill

This set from Minneapolis based band Sound Wave Mountain Cave is about as perplexing to nail down as that name.  They start things off heavily country and Americana based, but over the course of five songs turn into more alternative rock based stuff. It even leans toward progressive rock, shoe gaze and dreamscape related at various points. This is inventive, diverse and entertaining.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023  Volume 3 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.


Track by Track Review
25
There is a healthy helping of country music built into this track. It is also very folk rock driven. It gets energized after the first verse, rocking out with a real Americana energy. I'm reminded of Bob Dylan to a large degree, particularly on the vocals. It drops to a slower movement as it continues. It builds back out with some real style and folk rock charm as it continues.
The Good Old Days
More of a rocker, this has more of an alternative vibe to it. The country and other Americana elements aren't completely gone, though. There are even hints of things like shoegaze built into this one, though. There is some killer hard rocking sound in the instrumental break, too.
Streetlights / Ginkgoes
That alternative rock sort of vibe is on the menu here, too. This is a slower song, though. It has plenty of fuzz-laden charm and style. I don't hear a lot of that Americana in the mix here. This is such a classy tune, and it brings both magic and style. There is a more dreamy sort of section later in the song that is so cool, too. It brings a real dream pop angle to things. It powers back up, but still retains some of that quality as it does so.
Bones
Fuzz-driven and classy, this rocker is more like the last couple tracks. There is definitely plenty of that shoegaze angle at play. This is high energy and so strong. There are some intriguing twists and turns built into this song. We get a bluesy section later that seems to coming something like Black Crowes with Neil Young and Crazy Horse. That segment ends the song.
Things Fall Apart
Prominent piano provides contrast here. This is a slow moving tune that's fuzz-laden and so intriguing. It even wanders into jazzy territory. There is almost a modern proggy vibe before it's over, and it definitely qualifies as art music.
 
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