by Jasmine Bourgeois
Dark Mtns II, the second release from the Philly-based band Dark Mtns, picks up from their first, touching on some of the band’s older sounds with fresh jingles. Like their earlier work, the EP is subtle and familiar, flowing smoothly from one song to the next like a dreamy peanut butter cup. The songs are simple and (mostly) short, but inventive and layered, hitting a level of charming ambience familiar to the Philly DIY scene.
"Keep Me In The Garden," the first track off the EP, pulls you in with its pop-ish flare and catchy lyrics. From there, the songs meld into each other with ease. Though each has its own distinct notes, they work together in a way that feels easy; like hopping from one stone to the next. By "100% Vulnerable" — the third of five tracks — the mood gets heavier and the whole EP seems to shift into something more complex. The outro on this track gives chills and brings the rest of the EP together. Something about it lingers and sticks in a way that the other tracks don’t. It will make you want to call the kids you skated with when you were 12 or reflect on late spring evenings spent laying in fields as a teenager, wondering what your next steps would be.
Dark Mtns II makes you feel: nostalgic for little league days yet still meditative on being a 20-something working more than anyone should to pay for an apartment that costs more than it’s worth. Shared feelings of wanting to create, share, and cogitate amidst confusion and identity-crises is part of what glues DIY music scenes together — what this EP does exactly right is throw these feelings into relief.