Mount Mole possesses a sound that is tricky to pin down and one that is even harder to find an entry point into. Looking past the music, however, Paul Coleman may be the missing puzzle piece in this whole enigma, the Charles Foster Kane of bedroom pop experiments if you will. There is little information to be found on the man behind Mount Mole (which, by today’s standard, is nothing short of miraculous) and all I have found on him is a website in which he posts small trinkets of musical diversions ranging from the more somber numbers found on MMX to bizarre 8-bit video game soundtracks and Miami Vice synth-scapes. A Collar Cities press release reports that the album was recorded with a newborn sleeping in the next room. An ode to paternal nurturing—if the first song weren’t titled “Blood in the Dirt.” This begs the question, whose baby is it? His? Stolen? So many unanswered questions.

Mysteries aside, what we have is a documented record of one man’s unique musical vision. Casual musicians obsessed with the ubiquitous synth-pop of the eighties and the perpetually downer sounds and D.I.Y. ethic of early nineties indie rock, are dusting off guitars and keyboards, firing up the old laptop and going to work creating understated pop songs around a beat so primitive that they’d make even the most ardent 808 fanatics blush. I am certainly no stranger to this. The inbox to the blog I co-write with IYS staff writer Crawford Philleo is literally overflowing with records of this sort. As I speak some kid with a Midi Controller and beat-making software is sending me a link to his free downloadable EP.

So, what makes Mount Mole stand apart from this growing sea of bedroom musical hobbyists? Part of it is, Mount Mole doesn’t know what it wants to be, and that is a definite point in its favor. MMX would be a monolithically bleak affair, full of consumer-grade beats, blips, and bloops while Coleman’s hesitant voice tersely narrates emotional struggles and nameless ennui. That is, if he didn’t throw us some curveballs; these are what make this album an occasionally gorgeous, frequently frustrating, sometimes sweet little gem of a record.

There are some near-deal-breaking flaws on this record. It is apparent Mr. Coleman is struggling to get out of his love affair with Joy Division, or, probably more accurately, New Order. The Cure is a safe bet as well; “Blood in the Dirt” sounds curiously similar to “Killing an Arab.” This guy also knows his way around some of the more beat-oriented industrial music of the last decade. MMX is clearly informed by Frontline Assembly and NIN, despite distilling their fractured beats and heavily rhythmic cadence into something less ear-splittingly violent. Songs such as “Blood in the Dirt,” “Tick O Tick,” and “Off the Handle” fall squarely into this category.

On to the good stuff, and why this album is rated in the 60’s considering its faults. Coleman can write fantastic instrumentals, songs that should make up the bulk of this album, but are unfortunately pared down to only two appearances. “Untitled #9” and “Untitled #5” recall the same ethereal, beautifully looped guitars lines that make me pine for the days when Adam Forkner played with Yume Bitsu. These are songs that would play out comfortably while a newborn slept peacefully in the next room. Songs like “Little Eyes” and “Your Branches” are sweet, child-like songs that accrue more meaning if you have already realized that the best things are often the simplest. When relying on guitars to carry the lyrical thrust of the album, MMX shines, giving the ubiquitous processed percussion a much needed depth and solemnity that comes with the post-rock melodies.

Despite its release on a respected label, as a debut MMX has received little to no fanfare. However, Coleman shows real promise, while leaving plenty of room for artistic growth. He also makes clear his strengths in playing simple, pretty, quiet songs.

Track List:
1. Blood in the Dirt
2. Little Eyes
3. Untitled #9
4. Absent Sun
5. Trembling Hands
6. Untitled #5
7. Your Branches
8. Swipe At Stars
9. Tick O Tick
10. Black Forest
11. Off the Handle