Country Dragon. Mountaineer

Mountaineer is back with a new album after 'Lewis & Clark' (2022), the third in total with '1974' (2014). The bio accompanying the album speaks of a headphone record and I am in total agreement. Country Dragon is a soft and silent album. All is downgraded to minimal accompaniment, exceptions noted. There are two ways to enjoy this album to the max. Either with a headset on or turn your speakers up to a loud volume. In both cases the music will absorb you and more or less take you over.

Marcel Hulst, who is Mountaineer, has worked for one and a half year on the record with producer Diederik van den Brandt (Aidan & the Wild), and it shows. Country Dragon is a rich album with lush arrangements. Even in its minimal setting there is so much to enjoy. Musically and vocally a lot is going on. I do not have information on who is playing on the record, but I suppose that the basis is the members of Maggie Brown, Marcel Hulst's other (or former?) band.

The album came together in a time of personal hardship, where creating music became a personal escape. Unfortunately, from the artist's point of view, it seems an artist needs hardship or unhappiness to get truly inspired. The result is often a musical high and Country Dragon is no exception. The album is of a richness that the two previous albums cannot claim. It could be that working with the Excelsior label opened possibilities that were unattainable before. An extra instrument here, an extra singer there. I was already enthusiastic about '1974' and 'Lewis & Clark'. With Country Dragon Mountaineer has gone next level. Mountaineer and Excelsior have finally found each other. It was about time in my humble opinion.

Where album 'Lewis & Clark' was named after the two famous explorers, who in 1804 travelled the whole of the U.S. from St. Louis all the way to the mouth of what we now call the Columbia River. It was all about looking forward. With Country Dragon the demise of the U.S. is the theme. The shine went off of that shiny city on the hill in the past year. Marcel Hulst has a long-time fascination with the U.S. but how to be fascinated in a positive way with what is going on there today? It's more a horrorshow. Inspiration galore though.

Promo photo

The outcome of this fascination is a beautiful record. As an example, I'm pointing you to 'Queen-Size Life'. The song starts with an intro that has a lone trumpet accompanying Hulst's acoustic guitar. It immediately sets a melancholy mood. In the verse a muted trumpet or French horn comes in. And then the ladies start singing with Marcel Hulst. Only then the band comes in and shivers run down my spine from musical pleasure. That lone piano! Just a few notes and it's enough to make an impression of sheer brilliance. What kind of music is this? Ballad pop? Folk? It doesn't matter, it's perfection. That description does it for me.

One month from now we are going to the cd presentation in De Nieuwe Anita. I'm really looking forward to hear the songs live. In the meantime, I will play this album a lot. It is one of the best in 2026 so far.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can order Country Dragon here:

https://excelsior-recordings.com/products/mountaineer-country-dragon-pre-order