MOUNTAIN MAN – Made The Harbor

Simple melodies, finger-picked acoustic guitar, and layered harmonies drenched in rich reverb are all that gets stirred into Mountain Man’s Made the Harbor. Yet the minimalist album finds plenty of depth in its 13 songs.

When Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, and Amelia Randall Meath put their voices together, they seem to become three folk sirens luring young adventurers deep into the woods. When one of them sings alone, it’s like she’s standing out in the cold, waiting to return to the embrace of her band mates.

This isn’t to say there’s any lack of warmth on Made the Harbor. The entire album has a rich, organic pulse that comes directly from Mountain Man’s trio; the sound isn’t altered by any outside studio trickery. There’s also plenty of variety here: “How’m I Doin’” has the twang to match the slang in its title, while “Mouthwings” sounds almost baroque in its harmonies.

Made the Harbor is an excellent debut from the Vermont trio. Does it provide the next pastoral folk fix while craving fans wait for the upcoming Fleet Foxes album? Sure, but it’s so much more than that.

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