Out officially on November 5th, 2021, Birchcliff has put together an incredibly empowering LP titled The City and the Mountain. From start to finish, this record is beyond stellar. Read on for our full review of the album, in addition to a background on the artist.

Named after a small neighbourhood in Toronto, Canada, the project of Birchcliff is actually the moniker of Jake Harding. With his debut album The City and the Mountain awaiting its impending release, our preview of it has solidified real quick that you can expect a non stop thrill ride of witty songwriting and inventive instrumentation. Without a doubt, this is certainly a record we recommend keeping on your radar for as soon as it gets shared to the world.

Blending together a variety of genres that cover the ground between folk and rock, we found ourselves both wanting to dance around yet also keep a laser focus on the message being sent within the lyricism. From song to song, Birchcliff does the nearly impossible job of creating a glue-like cohesion within his sound, all the while mixing it all up stylistically throughout. Plain and simple, you’re not going to find yourself wanting to skip around or fast forwarding through moments, it’s all such a pleasurable listen from start to finish.

Evoking a “campfire feel” on songs such as the title track “The City and the Mountain”, there’s some fun instruments like kazoos and tambourines that while they might feel jarring at first, ultimately fit into the playfulness that the album has too. Says Harding on the record, “I’m not trying to imitate anybody else, so I hope it’s received as something fresh. I hope the meshing of genres is as seamless to fans as it is to me. I hope they recognize the honesty in the lyrics and songwriting”. That quote is exactly how we felt at the end of our listen and really, the task has been accomplished.

Without giving too much away here, we really just want it to be known that we’ve vibed with this record relentlessly. Considering that the weather is cooling down in our part of the world, it’s shot to the top of our list to be an ideal Fall listen. Sincerely, you should be checking out this record the moment it releases. Make sure to check out the links below and give a follow to Birchcliff to stay tuned for more.

Listen to The City and the Mountain

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Birchcliff debuts genre-bending LP, "The City and the Mountain"