“Rejoice”
from the EP Rejoice
2010
iTunes
Stick with “Rejoice” for only the first two and a half minutes or so, and Baltimore’s Secret Mountains sound like any another band getting by on a familiar style of earthen, acid-eaten psych. The feel is hymn-like and meditative, with its amorphous swirl of feedback dipped guitars, mounting storm drum fills, and strange inflections of English folk. It’s all pretty recognizable, save for the smoldering female vocal that stands out front. That’s Kelly Laughlin, and she’s a hell of a presence indeed. It’s odd considering how subtle her delivery is. The band gives her more than enough space to go for a full-on Grace Slick — Laughlin certainly seems capable — but she seems to recognize the power of simplicity. As the song unfolds, it becomes clear that Secret Mountains boast more than a dynamic frontwoman, breaking into “a joyful noise” [Laughlin’s phrasing], heavily steeped in jangle-pop and an anthemic, twee-like sprightliness.