I'm Being Good - Mountain Language
Have you ever been in the company of a group of people that have some kind of inside joke going that means nothing to you? You will stand there and smile awkwardly as they all fall about into inexplicable hysterics. Or perhaps you have been forced to go to a dance lesson and you don't know the steps. Watched an unfamiliar sport and don't understand the rules? Well, the feeling that encompasses all of these situations is exactly what dominated the experience of listening to 'Mountain Language', the latest record from Brighton trio, I'm Being Good.
We just didn't get it.
On a purely sensory level, there were times of brilliance. 'Horse Goes Ape' is a triumphantly thundering beast of a track, flapping its massive testosterone-sweating balls out on show for all to see. It's like a refined PABH track, sans vocals, that feels like Godzilla laying waste to a small fishing village. Sexy bass and spiky melodies are most welcomed indeed. Instrumental sludge-splattered excitement is the gratefully received undertone of the whole record in fact. The problems arise when it comes to vocals and creative intent.
Opening track, 'Steal The Mind Logo', becomes aurally unpleasant. It's not like we're dead against experimental vocals. They can go against the grain to excellent effect, creating new textures and dimensions to sound. However, shoot just a little off and you will be left with an uncomfortably discordant tangle. The wincing induced suggested this may belong in the latter category. Furthermore; apparently ''Escape With Stumps' is your long walk of shame with bleeding gums and a stolen bottle of milk. You wind up by the sea, of course.' Yeah, we didn't really get where that was coming from either.
In an ideal world, we would be able to keep this record in an instrumentally wondrous state. As it is, we will persevere to strive for coherence and ditch our bemused expressions.