Cymbals Eat Guitars is a Staten Island four-piece that plays some pretty sweet indie-rock. End generic intro. Their album “Why There Are Mountains” plays like a slideshow – each track has it’s own flow, it’s own personality, it’s own definite chronological place, yet it retains the cohesion of a purpose-built album. The songs flow through valleys, high into peaks, and descend on the other side, guided by squealing guitars into a loopy haze (perhaps a literal interpreation of the album title?).

I’m dropping two tracks today, representative of two different sounds.

Spacey-keyboards start “Share” before giving way to the slow, industrial trudge on guitars channeling the axe-saw grind of My Bloody Valentine’s “To Here Knows When.” The requisite haze shimmers over the vocals and bass plods along, roughly mirroring the melody with several notes. The song plateaus as horns enter the mix, bellowing triumph over crushing guitars, and a screeching, Malkmusian guitar solo. Victory.

Cymbals Eat Guitars – Share

And here we have the opener. A see-sawing harmony teetters over screaming synths and guitars before the songs mellows, and the vocals enter atop softer, prettier instrumentation. It’s a six-minute joy ride. I’m pretty tired, and this album is now lulling me to sleep. So instead of half-assing the rest, I’m just going to tell you to listen. So do it.

Cymbals Eat Guitars – And the Hazy Sea

Also, if you dig this, you might be into All These Kings, a Boston based band and good friends of mine. Check em out.

All These Kings – Pay No Mind

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