Lewis & Clark. Mountaineer

Soft, sweet, gentle are the first words that come to mind listening to Mountaineer's new album. Lewis & Clark is that kind of album. Serious listening is mandatory. Concentration a prerequisite to be able to submerge into the musical world singer-songwriter Marcel Hulst conjures up for all to hear. Without it hardly any of it may come across. Digging in will come with its perks, as the album may well prove to be one of the finest to be released in the genre in 2022.

It has been almost seven years since Mountaineer debuted with '1974'. In the meantime Hulst released an album with his band Maggie Brown, 'Another Place' (2017), and worked with another project as singer. With Lewis & Clark he sets a huge step as singer-songwriter, leaving '1974' far and wide behind him. The intricate arrangements and production all show huge progress.

Lewis & Clark were two explorers who at the very start of the 19th century had to find a western passage to the Pacific Ocean. They started from St. Louis to sail up the Missouri river. With the assistance of local Indian tribes they found their way across the Rocky Mountains into the mighty rivers all flooding into the Columbia river that reaches the Pacific near what is now Astoria, Oregon, where they camped and recuperated before starting the journey home. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are near unknown here but heroes in the United States, who explored the vast expanses west of the Mississippi river.

Marcel Hulst has a strong fascination for the U.S. that once again comes through in the lyrics and obviously the title of the album. In part the songs are a reflection of his (longing for) travels and observations on the U.S.A.. Expect places to be named, from Louisiana to Ohio or Baltimore, but also a typical American political process, impeachment, to be reflected upon from a personal perspective.

Musically it is all set in an almost delicate setting, where a sparse note on a piano or a slide note on a pedal steel guitar can totally set the mood, as in one of the singles, 'Ohio'. The melancholy atmosphere the song already has, is underscored in an extremely relaxed yet clearly sad circumstance. The person sung to has given up looking for Ohio it seems and never will look for it again.

The intricate accompaniment is what makes Lewis & Clark come alive. In all the songs there are these fantastic little extras. There are the harmony vocals that stand out totally. This album already has a large dreamy component, the harmonies elevate it to angelic levels. Elements of extreme beauty are shared out to those willing to receive it. Something I gladly do.

At heart this is a singer-songwriter album. An acoustic guitar, bass and drums is what makes up the backbone of the Lewis & Clark album. This would have made for an album with nice songs but in the end not special enough to keep my attention for the whole ride. For each song Hulst, together with co-producers Jan Schenk and Frans Hagenaars, has found the elements that make the individual songs stand out. Elements that make for a listening experience.

The power of a good song is that it still stands out played with just an acoustic guitar at a campfire. The strength of a good song is to make it stand out and that is what happens on Lewis & Clark. In the arrangements the right choice seems to be made each time. The mood of the song is enlarged by minimal effects, indeed as in the best songs of the artists Mountaineer mentions in the bio accompanying the release, Neil Young, Elliot Smith and Belle & Sebastian. Fans of these artists should find their way to and with Mountaineer. If only to hear the magic of "a simple" to-do-to-do-do-do. I truly wonder whether it will get much better in 2022.

Wout de Natris