“You can’t kill the heart of Steve McBean’s love!”
So say friends at Jagjaguwar. McBean, the front man of Black Mountain, puts all of his psychedelic heart and soul into Pink Mountaintops’ third album. Outside Love is somewhere in between a mass of classic rock anthems, folksy campfire ditties, and the teeny Twilight novels. Lyrically driven by blood and love, the album is a melodramatic mess. But the music is full, driving, and just epic enough to deserve attention.
“Axis: Thrones of Love” is a powerhouse tune worthy of its title. Stinging and pleading to know the depth and price of love with lyrics like “Oh with a heart full of stitches / the daggers are in my dreams”. The tired, weatherworn vocals are needed to keep the track from becoming too ridiculous.
“Execution” feels like an old-west ballad from the bar, complete with mustached men, broads, and too much trouble for a small town. With exaggerated lyrics like, “Well I will fight to stay your execution / well I would die to save your soul,” what could be more endearing than “But I’ve seen magic fly from your fingers / and show light that shines more than we believe”?
“While We Were Dreaming” and “Vampire” offer a lighter, lovelier sound. The stunning vocals on the former track sound only slightly grotesque with the lines “Then if I could find your heart, I would pull it from your chest / And smash it with my fists ‘til it was beating.” Eerie and, well, dreamy the track is alluring, even if a bit (or a lot) of it is romance-novel-esque. “Vampire,” takes a turn into beautiful folksy fullness. Aside from all Twilight-ness (“Oh oh vampire / You can suck out the blood/ But you can't kill the heart of my love”) the track is charming, and will surely work its way into your heart.
“Holiday” is a full of humming harmonic lushness that will dare you not to sing along. “Everyone I love deserves a holiday in the sun” exemplifies the simple honesty (which at times comes off as a tad hokey) that makes the tracks so appealing – despite any carnage or cheesiness. Undeniably confident and catchy, “Holiday” proves well deserving of a spot on the summer playlist.
“Come Down” is a short, fluttering galactic chant (“Cause you are a fiery star”) that leads right into the subtle and haunting title track. An 80’s ballad reminiscent of both a ghost town and an abandoned space ship, the whistling wind and voices are somber, and a bit creepy on lines like “Angels burning in sin and flame / draped across the lost highway.”
“And I Thank You,” the six-and-a-half minute campfire jam brings out all the stops: easy, narrative lyrics, the lazy cowboy drawl and duet with a dame, a tambourine, plucking strings, and a group sing-a-long at the chorus. “So celebrate, we are lovers and we are fighters / So celebrate to live one more round” and “I know my heart’s gonna be alright ... and I thank you” pull together all of the enticing lushness that makes the album so full and wonderful.
“The Gayest of Sunbeams” is a bit bizarre. With a style completely different from the rest of the album, this track is more of a dirty psychedelic and grungy guitar mashup. Lyrics like “And I rise with the gayest of sunbeams / And I walk beneath the warmth of the rays / Oh with the flower blossom eyes I adore / she's the girl with the painted black swirl?” are a bright turn from the dark and dreary words of death at the beginning of the album. And though the low snarling vocal is not the most pleasant of sounds, the track is energizing and refreshing.
Outside Love comes to a close with “Closer to Heaven.” The cut’s soft but driving tinge of finality makes the whole album feel like an incredible journey through the lands of love. Home at last, “Closer to Heaven” is reflective and full – a meaningful end of McBean’s musical drama.
Self-proclaimed by the folks at Jagjaguwar, Outside Love is a collection of songs that “read like a Danielle Steele romance novel, but that would probably make for bad television.” And though terrifyingly true, Outside Love should not be brushed off as a thing of naught. Pink Mountaintops have put together a feel-good tribute to a crew of legitimately impressive musicians. Give it a listen. You won’t be disappointed.
Track List
1. Axis: Thrones of Love (4:50)
2. Execution (3:53)
3. While We Were Dreaming (3:55)
4. Vampire (3:53)
5. Holiday (3:23)
6. Come Down (2:10)
7. Outside Love (5:26)
8. And I Thank You (6:21)
9. The Gayest of Sunbeams ( 4:14)
10. Closer to Heaven (4:51)
