Middle Mountain - The Perfect Kind of Crazy

Middle Mountain 

​The Perfect Kind of Crazy
self-released; 2017

​4.3 out of 5 - TOP ALBUM

By Ryan Ansel

Middle Mountain is a four-piece indie rock band from Utah. They are a young group, made up of all teenagers, but their age isn’t at all reflected in their sounds. 

The band released two EPs last year, The Octagon Window and This Again. In addition to these projects, they recently uploaded a music video for the song, “Left Me Dead,” on their YouTube page, as well as, some acoustic performances of singer Logan Christensen playing in front of scenic Utah landscapes. It’s clear to see that this young band is active and ambitious.

The Perfect Kind Of Crazy is their latest release. Whereas the first two projects seemed more similar-sounding to each other, this one stands as their most easygoing EP to date. The instrumentation is energetic, yet these sweet vocal melodies could land any of these songs on any feel-good indie movie.

There’s a catchy element to each track. “The Perfect Kind Of Crazy,” is a search for that happy-medium between fun and seriousness that every relationship relies on. “Your soul can’t find a reason for leavin’ / ‘cause you’re stuck on believin’,” describes perfectly the feeling of being conflicted over which step to take next. Christensen’s lyricism is mature and he isn’t afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, which is another reason as to why you would never guess that this band is so young in age. 

One of the highlights of this project are the vocals that are so integral to the group’s sound as a whole. Christensen delivers a smooth vocal performance and makes it sound so easy. The tone of his voice reminds me of Simian Ghost’s Sebastian Arnström. There’s never a moment that you want either more or less from the vocals, as the entire record was mastered beautifully.

While guitar soloing isn’t super “in” right now for indie rock, I would’ve loved to hear some on this. On The Octagon Window, Middle Mountain shreds a face-melting solo to close the EP on the track, “Fire Eyes.” I think that if they found a way to incorporate some math rock into their sound, they could engage so many different audiences to their already universal sound.

“Oh Brother” is the fifth and final track, as it plays a perfect role in capping-off this project. The song builds off of a catchy, summery guitar riff, while incorporating the subtly melancholic, “I wonder, how could someone like my brother watch me fall insane?” The song, and project as a whole, ends on a train of “na-na-na”s, which I felt perfectly summed up this EP’s radiant vibe. 

​This EP is Middle Mountain’s best so far. The boys from Utah are coming into their own and growing exponentially. It should be interesting to see the next project that follows this. Will they drop another EP or will they go full-length? Support the band on their social media outlets.

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