Little Play

Playtime for John Mountain
The Rectifiers
Sensory Projects, 2008
4 stars

With the eclectic pop sensibility of the Flaming Lips and the sun-drenched harmonies of the Beach Boys, the third album from this Melbourne band is a gem. It’s anyone’s guess who John Mountain is, but Playtime is a great title for the twelve chapters of dreamy, impeccably-produced modern psychedelia on this disc. Don’t let the strange song titles scare you off though, this is as warm and inviting as music gets, with washy synths, layered vocals and an arsenal of instrumentation, physical and otherwise (it would seem hippies in 2008 are as comfortable with a computer mouse as their forefathers were with a tambourine). Apparently this is the first in a series of albums too, so let’s hope Mr Mountain and co. can back it up.

Published in mX, Thursday September 4, 2008