I have heard many unique bands. We live in a world where music can be an experiment. They’re crisscrossing all of the genres making things like country/rap, and bollywood/big band. Sometimes this is a mess that no one asked for. Other times it just makes a band really vibrant and intriguing. Mosey West is of the vibrant and intriguing variety. They are classified as psychedelic/folk/country/rock. That may seem like a lot of things, but don’t get overwhelmed– they really, really make it work. It’s got a lot of cool distortion, some nice, twangy guitars, and good, hard drum rhythms. Bermuda is Mosey West’s third EP. It’s been a couple years since their last one, so they have had some time to really work on their music. Bermuda is true to the band’s original sounds and influences, while definitely having grown up a bit. This EP features a much more complex sound than the previous two. It’s a little less country, a little more psychedelic–in a really good way!
Mosey West is comprised of four guys based in Fort Collins, Colorado, a place where I have spent a fair amount of time. I did not learn where they were from until after I had listened to the album several times, but the very first time I listened to “Old Stone” it took me right to an afternoon in June, driving in the truck driving along Horsetooth Reservoir. Rocky Mountains looming, yellow flowers and tall prairie grasses swaying. It’s a very Colorado sound. Something that fell in love and settled down halfway between Los Angeles and Memphis. Old stone is about travel, seeing things, growing older, and wiser. “Old stone, old stone, you’ve seen rain drops turn to gold…teach the children what you know.” It features poignant guitar and wistful vocals.
“The Next Breakdown” feels so earthy. I had to relocate my writing to the living room and sit in a chair instead of writing standing up because I kept dancing to this beautiful, anthemic piece of music. It’s rhythmic. It’s remembering something and anticipating something. History repeats itself. “Have we been here before?” It turns out, we have. In a bar, in a hotel room, waking up too early, eyelids “heavy from the weight of the world”, waiting for the next breakdown. The melody is catchy, rhythm is prominent, just enough distortion to take you to another time and place without being too trippy.
“The King and Queen of LA” is a little more country than the rest of the album, but it is also one of my favorites. It’s a song reflecting back on a lost relationship, one with mutual pain and regret, trying to fix things. The instrumentals are driving, the voice is melancholy and sincere. “Send the word to Los Angeles. The king and queen must always wear their crown.”I love the rhythm, these songs all have such driving rhythm. It doesn’t take some kind of back seat to guide the music where it needs to go, it is firmly in the driver’s seat. The next song features several layers of rhythm, lots of different sounds. Drum sounds, rattle sounds, rhythmic bass sounds. “Dear Headlights” is a very melancholy song. Contemplating life and death. “Dear headlighs, I’d like to say hello. Blank stares, blank pages are lying on the floor.” I love the musical interlude in the middle, so energizing–to myself and the song, even though neither of us were lacking in energy before.
“Hurricane Eyes” is so catchy. I keep humming along and drowning out the words I am trying to write about. I love the distortion on the vocals. I love the zingy guitars. It’s about having been in love with another guy’s girl and the whirlwind of repercussions and lovesickness that comes with it. There are some chains on doors and sleeping on casino floors. The lyrics are cool, a little abstract, but solidly beautiful.
Mosey West is one of those bands that will stay in my file of great music. They take me on journeys back in time, living Colorado, travelling Southern California. They have active beats, catchy harmonies, pretty lyrics, and a really unique sound. I have enjoyed having this album on repeat immensely. I used it as dinner party music and got some really great feedback from my guests. This EP has some great energy without being loud or overbearing. Go check these guys out, buy Bermuda, buy their other EP’s, play them at your dinner parties, in your car, or when you’re home alone and need something to accompany your twirling around the living room. If you find yourself in the Fort Collins, Denver, or Laramie areas–see if you can catch a live show! They’re playing a local tour and sharing the stage with some other cool bands.
