In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain
The best songs on In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain find energy through small changes in rhythm and vocal company. Blind Pilot keep their gentle melodic identity, but the arrangements are most engaging when they create a little movement around it. Israel Nebeker's voice remains warm and direct. Hearing another voice answer him often makes the writing feel more open.
“Brave” brings a firmer, faster pulse into the album and benefits from the contrast with the quiet “Jacaranda.” The rhythm gives the song a sense of purpose without making it sound forced. “Pocket Knife” uses banjo and a warm bass part to frame a more vulnerable delivery. These are modest arrangements, but the individual choices help the songs stand apart. “Don't You Know” is particularly effective because the exchange between Nebeker and Kati Claborn adds a conversational quality to the melody.
The later “One Drop” provides another welcome rhythmic lift. Its movement gives the record a clearer sense of direction after some less distinctive passages. “Coming Back” is attractive as a piano-led ballad, though its restraint leaves less of an impression than the strongest material. “Faces of Light” also has a thoughtful atmosphere without quite finding a memorable enough melodic center. The album's even temperament can make separate feelings arrive with too similar a weight. A little more friction inside the arrangements would help those songs communicate their differences.
“Bitter Water” and “Believe Me” give the closing stretch a stronger identity. The former has an appealing, simple guitar texture, while the latter lets earnest feeling become the main event. The ending makes a good case for the band's continued ability to reach beyond pleasant background music. In the Shadow of the Holy Mountain is uneven, but its better moments have a clear human presence. The record is most satisfying when a rhythmic turn or a second voice makes its warmth feel like an exchange rather than a general atmosphere.
