Haunted Mountain
Buck Meek lying against a stone background with his arms over his face
Studio album by
Buck Meek
ReleasedAugust 25, 2023 (2023-08-25)
StudioSonic Ranch, Tornillo, Texas
GenreAlt-country
Length42:00
Label4AD
ProducerMat Davidson
Buck Meek chronology
Two Saviors
(2021)		 Haunted Mountain
(2023)

Haunted Mountain is the third studio album by American musician Buck Meek, released on August 25, 2023, through 4AD. It was produced by Mat Davidson and recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas live to tape.[1] The album received acclaim from critics.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Exclaim!7/10[3]
Mojo[4]
Pitchfork7.2/10[5]
The Skinny[6]
Uncut[7]
Under the Radar[8]

Haunted Mountain received a score of 81 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[2] Mojo felt that "the songs are wonderfully non-toxic, obsessed in only the best possible way, [and] a refreshing take on country love and lust".[4] Uncut felt that Meek and producer Mat Davidson "gave the record a much more expansive, full-sounding presentation, a resounding and confident tone that matches these optimistic and often unfiltered emotions".[7]

AllMusic's Marcy Donelson wrote that the album "retains Buck's good-natured, rustic alt-country qualities, with the synths and live spontaneity providing touches of atmosphere and whimsy", calling it an "album of many strengths—poetic yet folksy lyrics, charming melodies, an A-plus band, and disarming sincerity".[1] Stephen M. Deusner described it as "full of songs about getting lost and finding yourself, about the pleasure of disorientation and the new perspective reorientation can bring".[5]

Eric Hill of Exclaim! remarked that the "psychedelic twist" of songs like "Undae Dunes" is "what gives Haunted Mountain, and much of Meek's discography, the fuel to rocket past so many nostalgia-minded country bandwagoners".[3] Reviewing the album for The Skinny, Jo Higgs stated that it "engages a wider dynamic variety than either of Meek's two prior solo records, reaching further towards both jolting rock arrangements and lullingly mesmeric minimalism".[6] Chris Thiessen of Under the Radar opined that "aided by his folk-rocking instrumentalists, [Meek] delivers his fullest and most complete project to date".[8]

Track listing

Haunted Mountain track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Mood Ring"3:53
2."Haunted Mountain"5:11
3."Paradise"3:39
4."Cyclades"4:44
5."Secret Side"3:25
6."Didn't Know You Then"4:13
7."Undae Dunes"2:39
8."Where You're Coming From"3:57
9."Lullabies"4:41
10."Lagrimas"3:42
11."The Rainbow"2:05
Total length:42:00

Charts

Chart performance for Haunted Mountain
Chart (2023) Peak
position
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[9] 59
US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[10] 82

References

  1. 1 2 3 Donelson, Marcy. "Buck Meek – Haunted Mountain Album Review". AllMusic. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Haunted Mountain by Buck Meek Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Hill, Eric (August 23, 2023). "Buck Meek Climbs Higher on Haunted Mountain". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Buck Meek – Haunted Mountain". Mojo. September 2023. p. 82.
  5. 1 2 Deusner, Stephen M. (August 22, 2023). "Buck Meek: Haunted Mountain Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Higgs, Jo (August 21, 2023). "Buck Meek album review: Haunted Mountain". The Skinny. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Watts, Peter (August 25, 2023). "Buck Meek – Haunted Mountain". Uncut. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  8. 1 2 Thiessen, Chris (September 13, 2023). "Buck Meek: Haunted Mountain (4AD) – review". Under the Radar. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Top Current Album Sales: Week of September 9, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
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