Think Like A Mountain - The Fawn's First Steps EP

Think Like A Mountain

The Fawn's First Steps EP
self-released; 2015

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen
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Think Like A Mountain is a three-piece post-rock band from Missouri that recently released The Fawn's First Steps EP. For fans of the genre the EP contains a lot of the familiar elements that have defined post-rock. The songs are relatively long and vacant of vocals, the guitars have a copious amount of reverb on them and the ever-popular transition of serene and nostalgic to intense and grand is present. There are obvious reference points like Mogwai, Explosions In The Sky and even Sigur Rós but considering the fact they have only been for around a year it shows a decent amount of out of the box thinking.

Their foundation at this point is a bit shaky and they haven’t quite figured out how to get from a soft part to a loud part without it being sudden and feeling abrupt. The transitions usually happen with someone stepping on a distortion pedal and the drums being played harder with more fills. Nonetheless, the songs are enjoyable for a fan of the genre as there are a number of inspired moments that hints at better things to come. 

The band opens with “The Dulling of Blades.” Between the reverb-laced guitar and drumming style Sigur Rós came to mind. As I mentioned earlier the first transition revolves mostly on distortion and louder drumming, which comes without much warning. The second time around the band hits higher peaks and eventually after the climax it slowly dissipates. 

I immediately thought the beginning to “Terraformation” was great. The excellent drumming pattern and off kilter rhythm had me hooked. The band sticks to a turn on a dime soft/loud dynamic, which mirrors the opening track. “Gravity Fails” has one of the stronger guitar patterns you will hear on this EP. Right around two minutes and thirty seconds in, the guitar work is immersive and keeps the energy high.

“A Hummingbird Crown” was a highlight and in my opinion was the most original sounding track. There was some more impressive guitar work on this track and I loved the way they used the harmonizer effect. Sounded great. They close strong with “Sleeping Tiger Rises.” The opening is ambient and atmospheric, so much so it reminded me of Stars of The Lid. Some inventive guitar sounds peek their head out around the five-minute mark. The last minute revolves around soft, hypnotic like patterns.

If the band can figure out how to get to the space between soft and loud more often and possibly use that as a transition they should be well on their way. There were some predictable outcomes to these songs but I still thought the visceral experience was enjoyable. Think Like A Mountain is off to a solid start and a group you will want to keep your eyes on.

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