Originally issued in 2004 as a limited CD-R on Child of the Microtones,
Daze on the Mounts marked
Dredd Foole's official return to music, even though, due to its rarity, many believed his later LP A Long, Long Battle with Eloquence and Intimance was his actual comeback. That LP is entirely solo, with only vocals and acoustic guitar, and its raw nature is at times unflattering, but
Daze on the Mounts is a different story. Here,
the Foole is backed and supported by
Matt Valentine and
Erika Elder (Tower Recordings), overdubs abound, and the mix is saturated with psychedelic tricks, from spaced-out whispers to echo-drenched screams. In other words, there is more meat around
Dan Ireton's outsider folk songs. In some cases, the word "song" is actually misleading, as with the ten-minute "Two Faces," a gorgeous delirium. The closest thing to a song on this album is a cover -- or rather, a liberal reinterpretation -- of
Love's "Signed D.C." Another highlight is "Feed the King," which consists mostly of multiple stacked vocals intertwining into enthralling textures. If A Long, Long Battle had a slight "iconoclastic troubadour" feel,
Daze on the Mounts is in another league, closer to the free-form explorations of
Jackie-O Motherfucker or the ritual incantations of
the No-Neck Blues Band. The Family Vineyard label gave the album a wider release in early 2007. ~ François Couture