Aside from referencing a piece of Lou Reed's philosophy about recording rock bands, the name 'Cymbals Eat Guitars' is suggestive of a group of musicians infighting, vying for dominance over the sonic field - Reed and Cale on White Light/White Heat, organ vs. fuzz guitar. Well, we'd best put a halt to the Velvets nods so as not to mislead you. Cymbals Eat Guitars sound nothing like the Velvet Underground, and they have little interest in attempting to drown each other out. They draw little inspiration from the skuzzy, minimalist heroin-cooled din that group pioneered in the late 60's. What do they sound like, then? One could sit around rattling off possible sources of influence for days - the highly unusual and infectious melodies could suggest an obsession with Pavement, the moments of hair-raising, goose bump-inducing, utterly anthemic sonic assault would seem to point towards Built To Spill or Sonic Youth. the streamlined pop of 'Some Trees (Merritt Moon)' even suggests Wire circa Chairs Missing. The angular, atypical lead lines channel Isaac Brock on The Lonesome Crowded West. The eruptions of white-hot guitar force lightning scream Ira Kaplan. The tasteful ornamentation of keyboards calls to mind some of the work Leroy Bach and Jay Bennett did together on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Yet, somehow after repeated listening, these obvious points of comparison melt away along with your face, and you're left with something singular, something inimitable. Cymbals Eat Guitars have, with their expressionist manifesto Why There Are Mountains, opened all the windows in the musty and disused attic of indie rock and roll relics.

Both stark reality and poetic numinousness pervade Why There Are Mountains, often united as one, infusing a vision of our country traversed on 'pulsing arterials' with mystery and wonder, restoring meaning to the phrase 'American Wilderness'. Why There Are Mountains could be one of those records that sticks with you, that you return to again and again - the type of record that defines many months or year or two of your human experience. Cymbals Eat Guitars are very possibly your new favorite band. Prepare yourself to love again.