MT. DOUBT - IN AWE OF NOTHING

Mt. Doubt's 2015 debut album My Past Is A Quiet Beast was one of my favourite albums of last year with its blend of deep lyrics and dark, intriguing guitar pop a real breath of fresh air. Leo Bargery quickly established himself as one of Scotland's most interesting new singer-songwriters, and In Awe Of Nothing, a quick follow up to My Past..., shows that the last twelve have only scratched the surface of what Mt Doubt is capable of. Merging dark pop with indie rock, bits of post punk and powerful, affecting songwriting, In Awe Of Nothing is yet another, tremendous Mt. Doubt release.

Recent single Afterglow (below) shows Mt. Doubt at their best with its irresistible melodies encased warm but edgy guitars. Thirst, Sheer And Utter and Soak are in a similar vein, each one distinct from the other, but all following one of Mt. Doubt's key paths - emotional, guitar led, anthemic indie pop with a near the surface undertone of sheer power that is only revealed when the song's are played live. There, songs which grab you on record take on a new life and that's one of the most intriguing things about Mt. Doubt. Both in their recorded and live versions, these songs are impossible to ignore.  Closing track Bastard Sea comes closest to combining the two and it's a thrilling end to the album. Bargery gives us the full Matt Beringer meets Eddie Vedder vocal style that sounds so huge live and it's a real treat.

In Awe Of Nothing is a noticeable step on from My Past Is A Quiet Beast, mainly because the songs here have a fresh confidence to them, feeling less confessional and private that the tracks on the debut. That's not to belittle that album of course because, as I mentioned above, I love it and you really should hear it, but In Awe Of Nothing adds new dimensions to Mt. Doubt's sound and is yet more evidence that this is a very special band indeed. It's a special album too - give it a listen.

In Awe Of Nothing by Mt. Doubt is out now on Scottish Fiction on very limited vinyl, cd and download. Mt. Doubt are playing the T-Break stage this Saturday (9 July) at 2 p.m at T In the Park. Check out their Facebook page below for more details and for all news and upcoming gigs.

Mt Doubt Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MtDoubt/?fref=ts
Mt Doubt Bandcamp https://mtdoubt.bandcamp.com/album/in-awe-of-nothing

MT. DOUBT - AFTERGLOW

Mt. Doubt release their first new music of 2016 on April 30th with a 7" single featuring two new tracks Afterglow and Hotel Key. The single is released through the much missed and much loved Scottish Fiction and purchasing the vinyl will give you access to two remixes of Afterglow by two members of Machines In Heaven under their Magic Daddy and blood blood aliases. 

As we've already come to expect from Mt, Doubt, Afterglow is a masterclass in quiet-loud-quiet dynamics but, as ever, there's more to this than just that. Leo Bargery's sombre yet still uplifting lyrics add layers of emotion to the song and the whole package contains much to delight. Hotel Key reveals a starker, more subdued side to Mt. Doubt, and you can easily imagine listening intently to the song in a dark, smoky, bar somewhere. It's a lovely track.

Mt. Doubt really is one of the most intriguing acts out there just now. As I mentioned before, the band that is put together for their live shows is superb and Leo is quite the frontman. What are superb songs on this single, will doubtless have new life breathed into them when they're played at the single launch at Glasgow's Hug & Pint on 30 April. I'd recommend you get along. The link for tickets and the special 7" single and ticket bundle can be found below.

Afterglow shows why Mt. Doubt is destined for great things. Get into this band now before everyone does. 

Tickets for single launch show https://www.musicglue.com/scottish-fiction/events/30-apr-16-scottish-fiction-presents-the-hug-and-pint/

Mt. Doubt Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MtDoubt/?fref=ts

Facebook Event Page https://www.facebook.com/events/1568729393443381/

MT. DOUBT - SOAK

Regular readers will know that Edinburgh's Mt. Doubt is something of a favourite of this blog's. My Past Is A Quiet Beast is one of this year's outstanding debut albums and Mt Doubt's live performances add new layers to the intricacies of the recorded versions of the tracks, giving them a Springsteen/Eddie Vedder/The National hybrid feel that doesn't fail to impress.

Showing that they're not resting on any laurels, the band have released a new single Soak which is free to download from the Soundcloud link below. Soak starts off sounding more confident that Mt Doubt have ever sounded, combining a chopping guitar riff with Leo Bargery's standout vocals before opening up and welcoming you into a delightful chorus which adds a superb harmony and vocal from Annie Booth. Like all Mt Doubt's music there are many layers to explore here and it's yet more proof that Mt Doubt are onto something special.

Soak by Mt Doubt is out now and is available as a free download.

Mt Doubt Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MtDoubt/?fref=ts

NEW: MT. DOUBT - ASUNDER

Mt. Doubt are a band I've quickly grown to love having been converted to them following the release of their debut album My Past Is A Quiet Beast (review here). The band's powerful live performance at August's Scottish Fiction Presents gig only added to my enthusiasm for the band and, like I said in the review of that gig (here), Mt. Doubt are surely on the verge of something very special indeed.

Today, the band have released a new video for the track Asunder, a Radiohead meets The National tower of brooding melody that will grab you straight away and keep you coming back again and again. Have a look below

Head to Mt. Doubt's Soundcloud page to download Asunder and the rest of Mt. Doubt's catalogue - you won't regret it

Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/mtdoubt

MT. DOUBT - MY PAST IS A QUIET BEAST

Mt. Doubt is a solo project by Edinburgh based musician Leo Bargery and his debut album My Past Is A Quiet Beast is something rather special. Mixing introspective lyrics with large scale sounds, think a mix of Radiohead, Arcade Fire and The National, My Past Is A Quiet Beast is a really impressive and confident debut with much promise.

Opener Beast is a slow building, brooding affair, with the phrase "My past is a quiet beast"  repeated throughout, building to a power ending that certainly sounds cathartic for Bargery. The next track Feathers is the opposite of Beast,  all pop and melody and really quite brilliant. It's my stand out track from the album and one you'll certainly want to hear (listen below). Slump displays the darker side of Mt Doubt again, before Bend Sinister lets some light back in albeit in the dark yet optimistic way The National handle their lighter moments. It's been said many times already by those who've heard Mt. Doubt, but there is definitely something of the Matt Berninger in the way Bergary delivers his vocals and that's of course no bad thing at all.

Fans of this blog and the Almost Scottish Fiction releases will already be familiar with the excellent Bend which featured on the third e.p. (here) and the track works beautifully when heard in its album setting. Dancing Phantoms and  I Break Spirit follow Bend and both are atmospheric slices of dark indie pop and they lead to the swirling, gripping Telmessos which, like many tracks here sounds like it would be comfortably at home in some pretty big venues. The influence of The National is again felt on another of the album's stand outs Soft Wrists, before we end on Asunder, a rousing, joyous finale to what has been a hugely enjoyable album.

My Past Is A Quiet Beast really is an intriguing and rather wonderful debut and it deserves as much attention as it can possibly get. Highly recommended.

Mt. Doubt play live at The Hug & Pint, Glasgow on Tuesday 4 August headlining the Scottish Fiction Presents... gig. Tickets are £5 and are available from www.hugandpint.com

My Past Is A Quiet Beast is out now and is available on Mt. Doubt's Soundcloud page and on cd here http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ByLandCollective