MOUNTAIN MAN – MADE THE HARBOR
Every now and then a lo-fi masterpiece pops up amidst the calamity of nu-folk records. There is a lot to be said by what can be left out of the mix; and this record from Melly Sarle – aka Mountain Man – is one such quiet joy. Eerie Appalachian harmonies kink and float over her simple guitar strums; tales of trees and woods and forest creatures are pleasingly un-fussy and honest enough to avoid the trappings of twee lyricism. Her voice is antiquated in technique and youthful in tone; clear echoes of the 1960’s folk revolution are evident, and there is a curious sense of the psychedelic in her melodies and lonesome presence. Keen listeners will spot the thematic and harmonic resemblance to Linda Perhacs’ Parallelograms, though none of these songs are as layered or theatrically refined as that – listen carefully to the bridges between each track and you can hear laughs, coughs, microphone buzz etc. True, the similarities between the songs and their delivery tends to make it all bleed into one, but with a patient mind and a quiet night, the sense of personal space in this music is intoxicating enough to take the listener on quite a journey.
***1/2
