Stream Mountain Man’s First Album In 8 Years Magic Ship

Stream Mountain Man’s First Album In 8 Years Magic Ship

Years ago, the Vermont trio Mountain Man made a name for themselves by singing simple, bucolic, utopian folk songs in three-part harmony, with precious little accompaniment. Sometimes, they sang over a single acoustic guitar. Sometimes, they sang over nothing at all. They sounded like summer camp, like a crackling bonfire. When I saw them at SXSW back then, they said it was their first time ever performing with microphones. And I could be remembering this wrong, but I think all three of them were barefoot.

Mountain Man released one album, 2010’s Made The Harbor. For a while, they toured with Feist as backup singers. Amelia Meath, one third of the group, went on to team up with Nick Sanborn and to form the hugely successful electro-pop group Sylvan Esso. But now Mountain Man have reconvened and recorded Magic Ship, their second album and their first in eight years.

Magic Ship is very much in line with Made The Harbor, all simple and hushed and starry-eyed harmonies over barely-there acoustic guitar. It’s a warm, inviting, reassuring album. We’ve already posted three of its songs: “Window,” “Rang Tang Ring Toon,” and “Stella.” And right now, you can stream the whole album at NPR.

Magic Ship is out 9/21 via Nonesuch Records.

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