DJ Shadow: 'The Mountain Will Fall' album review

DJ Shadow releases his new album The Mountain Will Fall in a torrent of genre mashing that works its way through hip hop, electronica bass and a slew of samples. Styles introduced are envelope pushing in peculiar mixes and subtle nuances by select featured guests, making an expansive collection that sounds like a modern film soundtrack to a lengthy dramatic piece.

A digital greeting of “hi” in the opening title track paves way to an envelope of warm synth atmosphere, belted off by a wild yelp and compressed hip-hop beats. For laying it out quite thickly Shadow is intent on building up a distinct moment much like the astronaut travels of its accompanying music video. “Nobody Speak” features Run The Jewels in lyrical playfulness (and hilariously potent music video) that struts on up with forward opinions and swooning horns. The collaboration will likely elevate both parties to further heights, though the distinctive guitar lick will become your new inescapable ear worm. A rather muted bass hum leads towards scattered drum clicks and utterances of “Three Ralphs” in peculiar cat calls, spacey echoes and a haunting piano lead that literally sways from side to side. Were it not for the numerous effects layered upon it then the brief moment may actually hold some weight.

“Bergschrund” features classic pianist Nils Frahm in a class action beat that feels like how hip hop should, evolving slightly throughout the buildup of meshing sounds put together. Best of all the distinction of influences is unapparent here, a true collaboration highlighting both artists’ strengths. Scratch happy “The Sideshow” is classic DJ Shadow: chopped up sounds, hip hop beats, vinyl scratches and an assured swagger in the showcase of sheer talent.  The track sounds timeless and distinct, fresh as if it had been freshly cut minutes ago or decades prior when the producer first appeared on the scene. A slow electrical guitar buildup in “Depth Charge” fills off an intense vibe of tension with accompanying sirens, an uppity rhythm section, sirens, flutes, creepy violins, clock tower bell gongs … after some time it’s hard to simply keep track of it all and you wonder at what point of the depth charge has taken place.

“Mambo” is led by oddly timed drum beats and a mechanical voice cut of an accompanying rhythm that only starts to make sense in a halfway rush of bass heavy synths. For a track that emphasizes Shadow’s recent musical direction in a genre literally entitled ‘bass’, the buildup is an odd way to put it together. The slow emphasizing buildup introducing “Ashes to Oceans” is beautifully weighty in a depth of sound that the producer only hints at occasionally. Syncopated hand claps make way towards a bluesy trumpet accompaniment from Matthew Halsall before stopping before the calming sound of ocean waves. The psychedelic mashup of “Pitter Patter” is a hard listen amidst its swamp of chopped up samples and the featured guest artists to go with it, making for a brief experimentation of sound highlighting Shadow’s current musical tastes. The brief track fades out quickly as it came and little is altogether lost.

The bass heavy “California”  that follows feels like a natural progression thereafter and the track is somewhat divisive in its further meshing of sounds. At times the genre bending experiment sounds innovative, yet absurdly so to the extent that the result is a track that gets annoyingly underground. Scattered drum clicks in the eerie “Ghost Town” does manage to build up … something like a modern day ghost town, leaning heavily on an assortment of sounds. Though as DJ Shadow typically puts out the expansive selection of sounds, the experimental mix here isn’t altogether surprising in its variation. By the time the closing “Suicide Pact” comes on, the echo of drum staccato to support the slow down tempo guitar lick hardly shakes the feeling of being immersed as part of Shadow’s grand experiment. The mountain has fallen, to be sure, and it’s been a lengthy one at that.

For an album so richly layered as The Mountain Will Fall the collection could have evolved from start to finish a bit more coherently. DJ Shadow experiments in new sounds while displaying innovate talents in the old to varying results, some tracks stellar and others quizzically progressive. Sadly the urge to skip some tracks through hints at an amazing artist putting out a mediocre album.