Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain Is A Mouth (2009)

Rock music just keeps getting bigger. Not simply in the epic, sweeping sounds of U2 or Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but also in the explosion of the rock band itself – for in recent years, groups whose members number in the double-digits have become almost as common as the quartet. While the sound of such groups can be, and often is, overwhelming, it allows new avenues to be opened that would formerly be available. Take the case of Bruce Peninsula, an eleven-piece ensemble from Toronto whose lineup includes, in addition to guitar, bass, and drums, an eight-member gospel choir. The choir itself rarely takes the center spotlight – though when it does, such as in the stomping “Satisfied” or the show-stopping arrangement of the traditional “Crabapples,” the result is tremendous – and more often serves to back the raspy lead vocals of Neil Haverty; however, it never fails to provide a vibrance and vigor to the music that not only feels genuine, but is all-too-absent in much modern music. The fact that the ensemble can pull off such a feat – and over the tricky time signature changes of “Steamroller” or the subdued folk swaying of “Weave Myself A Dress,” nontheless – is a testament to their versatility and creativity. With A Mountain Is A Mouth, Bruce Peninsula has crafted not only an incredibly solid album, but also the first great debut of 2009. Hey hoorah, indeed.

Rating: 9.0
Track picks: “Steamroller,” “2nd 4th World War,” “Crabapples”

- Will Preston