Mountains [20th Anniversay Expanded Edition]

Personnel: Mary Timony (vocals, various instruments); Christina Files (various instruments); Pee Wee Fist (euphonium); John McEntire (synthesizer, vibraphone); Ash Bowie (percussion).
Recorded at 84K and Boston & Sonics, Charlestown, Massachusetts; Electrical Audio, Chicago, Illinois.
Perhaps the most profound difference between Mary Timony's solo debut and her work with Helium lies in the former's sparseness. The songs' basic structures and tenor are the same, but where Helium's music overwhelms the listener with a torrent of sound, Timony's solo work strips the tunes down to their timeless folk roots. On MOUNTAINS, the songs feel tethered to the midst of the 16th Century, with Timony the traveling troubadour performing her poems of fantasy and despair.
"Poison Moon" is a solid testament to this ageless quality, opening with wandering strings and curiously juxtaposed lyrics. "Painted Horses" questions whether Timony exists at all, as she plays lightly with distortion while meandering around a twisted, twisting love song. "I Fire Myself" reveals her continued ability to turn reality inside out, in a tale created to crawl into your waking nightmares. She even successfully reprises an old Helium number, a pared-down "13 Bees" from the NO GUITARS EP. MOUNTAINS is a refreshingly subtle solo debut from one of the most prolific collaborators of the '90s.