Mt. Desolation, a new alt-country collective featuring members of the Long Winters, Mumford & Sons, Keane, Noah and the Whale, and the Killers, revealed back in April that a full-length album was in the works, and we now have our first official listen. “State of Our Affairs” is surprisingly focused, given how many cooks there were in the kitchen, though it’s almost a little too safe, IMO. Sure,Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-esque digital delay flourishes and pretty string arrangements give the tune all the depth necessary to move many a cold heart, but this tune ends up sounding more like Snow Patrol than Wilco, ultimately.
That said, a relatively understated track is always a good way to dampen the hype and baggage that comes with having a few arena-filling band names in your bio. I’ll definitely be checking out their future material, but give it a spin and see if Mt. Desolation grab your attention beyond their noteworthy lineup: Stream “State of Our Affairs” below or download the track, for the cost of an email address (via Speakers in Code), here.