Black Mountain Tabernacle, a beautiful surprise I found while floating through hordes of bands looking for good music, has released a great EP called Dirtfarmer. It’s got a lot of what I like; such as that haunting expression Nick Cave uses in his unique ballads. It’s got that soaring emotional intensity of Jeff Buckley, but filtered through a grittier, dark root damaged lens. Dirtfarmer showcases a rare ability to veer between anguished introspection and caustic folk tales.
The vocals are rich and sexy; listening is like witnessing the fusion of the sacred and profane into doom-laden poetry.
The EP opens with Dirtfarmer, the classic tale of distrust between authority and the average man trying to keep his dreams and dignity in the midst of impossible odds. It’s a brooding, sentimental portrait of moodiness and shimmery instrumentation. Goldrush has that same glimmer on guitars and hope for the simple and naive American dream as it slips into the soulful shadows of Hell. The song seems to narrate the downfall of dreams based on the seduction of the old Gold rushes of California.
Blackday is beautiful in a foggy, heartbroken kind of way as it tells a story of death, poverty and revenge. The lyrics are heart-wrenching. These guys really know how to turn pain into pure elegance with music. As we reach the end, the EP closes with Billy Ray, which almost seems to be the aftermath of Blackday.
Black Mountain Tabernacle displays a real knack for weaving grief and bleak conditions into exquisitely good music. Two of the members, names unavailable from what I’ve been able to find so far, began the band after leaving StoneCabin due to creative differences. They’re based in the UK and have serious musical talent that shouldn’t go to waste. For now, the only names I could find for the members were quite creative; Preacher on vocals, guitar and mandolin, Stonepicking on guitar, banjo, dulcimer and backing vocals. The Dandy Bassman on bass and keyboards, and The North Country Gentleman on drums, percussion and backing vocals.
Anyone who is a fan of the darkened poetry of classic rock performers will love these guys. They can paint an interesting picture, and they possess exceptional musicality. The entire EP is a uniquely bleak yet very impassioned listening experience.
Black Mountain Tabernacle’s Dirtfarmer is a scathing deconstruction of the ideals of personal happiness and comfort; similar to the “American Dream’s” tarnished mythos. This 4-track EP has the flavor of many greats; Tom Waits and Neil Young come to mind. They’ve got a limited run of CDs going on right now, so if you want one, you’d better grab it as soon as possible. You can get it here at the bandcamp (link).
It was challenging to find much about Black Mountain Tabernacle online, so I encourage anyone out there who falls in love with them like I did to follow their social media (Instagram) and Spotify pages. They truly deserve to have their music heard.
