Mount Qaf (Divine Love)

The follow-up to his 2014 solo debut, Liberation!, Mount Qaf (Divine Love) presents a set of broadly defined love songs by Walkmen bassist/keyboardist Peter Matthew Bauer. Far from saccharine or pining, the songs tend toward the cerebral, sometimes taking a world view more than a romantic one. Still, he maintains an encouraging tone that permeates the album's loose, clattering guitar rock. Opener "Wild Light" sets a brisk pace out of the gate, gradually building to a swirl of shimmering guitars, insistent stomp-along percussion, and even melodic group chanting. As often has proven to be the case in Bauer creations, the lyrics reveal an anxiety somewhat at odds with the music's free-spiritedness, as he sings about people being attracted to a spiraling chaos. Although, "It makes no difference/It keeps my spirits high." The more austere "Divine Love to Kill Fascism" passes a keyboard-based arrangement through a prism of distortion before it snaps into focus midway through with acoustic guitar and lucid -- at least in the sense of recording quality -- vocals. Having said that, Bauer's delivery can be uncannily reminiscent of Tom Petty's agreeable mumble. However unintentional (Bauer refers more often to philosophers than musicians when pressed for influences), it's a characteristic that suits his music's similarly vibrant jangle. His performance on "Will You Still Speak of Love" may showcase this best, mixing passion and frustration ("I'm not singing/I'm calling to your soul"). Ultimately, while it takes on big-picture perspectives and complicated emotions, Mount Qaf is a feel-good release whose hooks and invigorating spirit may be its most powerful takeaway. ~ Marcy Donelson