Too by Good Luck Mountain (Album)

Good Luck Mountain’s Mike Ferrio

‘Too’ is the second release by the indie-folk act Good Luck Mountain and it’s a record of delicacy and poise

ndie-folk band Good Luck Mountain release Too, the follow-up to 2011’s self-titled debut, and it’s a record steeped in the classics of both indie and folk. Led by ex-Tandy songwriter Mike Ferrio, who cut his teeth working as a roadie for Butthole Surfers and Bo Diddley, the band have drawn favourable comparison to R.E.M, Sparklehorse and Van Morrison, among others.

It doesn’t take long for the Sparklehorse comparisons to ring true, with opener Morning Moon cut from the same delicate, affecting and ambient songwriting intimacy that Mark Linkous made his hallmark. White Calico Flower follows this theme through, with Ferrio’s vocal echoing the gravelly resignation favoured by Mark Lanegan. There’s a touch too of Lambchop’s alt-country, something that is rarely far away throughout Too. Elsewhere, Indian Summer has a string section that wouldn’t sound out of time if it was released in 1992 alongside R.E.M’s landmark album Automatic For The People, while Maps Of The Moon comes over like a cross between Ryan Adams and Eels.

Too quickly finds its voice and it’s one that has a haunting refrain: delicate indie-folk underpinned by country resignation. Throughout its 12 tracks the songwriting is measured, refined and expert in its composition. There are moments when you wonder whether Ferrio might adopt a different approach – a touch more distortion here or there, or a climb into catharsis – as Too doesn’t so much grab the attention as seduce it. This, though, is to miss the point: Too has a clearly defined identity and it’s one that legions of indie, folk and alt-country fans will be able to find solace in.

Verdict: Indie-folk songwriting steeped in alt-country sobriety

Damien Girling

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