Seven Story Mountain

Based on a True Story (Deep Elm)
by Tim Den

Somebody stop Deep Elm! They’re stealing all the brightest talents!! I can’t believe the quality of groups this label keeps signing, each seems better than the last, and Seven Storey Mountain is no exception. I got a preview of this band on the label sampler Records for the Working Class Vol. 2, and if that wasn’t enough to floor me, Based on a True Story finished the job. Opening track “So Soon” is by far the most catchy indie rock song I’ve heard since Jimmy Eat World’s “Call it in the Air” first hit me. And just like the Jimmy Eat World experience, it hooked me the moment I heard it. No effort needed. All it took was me trying to peel my face off the stereo. Now I’ve got the damn thing stuck in my head all day long. All I can think of is “help me what can I do/to make this craving leave for good/about time to figure this all out/hit me wake my ass up/I think I’ve seen this turn before/driven this road a million times/so soon gone/so soon it returns.” It’s like Chinese water torture. But not. Because it’s good (duh).

The rest of the album rocks my world too. Taking the angular Fugazi riffs and combining them with Jawbox’s melodies, songs like “Waste of Time” and “Where Were You” will most likely cause a slight tremor from making all the backpacked emo kids pogo (sensitively). The only complaint I have is that this is just an EP. I can’t wait till they unleash a long-player. Until then, the repetitions in my head won’t let me forget this band.
(www.deepelm.com)