I’m a big fan of the folk genre, so upon hearing Loon Booster’s music, I couldn’t help but share it with the world! Loon Booster is the musical project of Minneapolis-based musician Benjamin Peterson, adding a lovely indie vibe to the modern folk genre on his EP, Uncanny Mountain.
By Jane Howkins
There are just four songs on the EP, keeping it sounding short yet sweet. Motion starts out slowly, before the beat kicks in, adding an almost folk-punk vibe with the fast tempo. The verses feature some lovely guitar lines alongside the backing effects, helping to create a gorgeous folky texture. Benjamin’s vocals are soft and smooth, fitting the genre of music well. The little backing effects really help the track to stand out, keeping your interest piqued throughout.
Melt is a little different, having quite an electronic flavour. The vocals are distorted at times and have a lot of effects – whilst this can be annoying in some songs, it works perfectly here. The vocals mix well with the layered percussion and beats, with swirling synths in the background creating a fantastic ambience. The bass throbs throughout the song, carrying it along to its final conclusion. It’s very different to the previous song, but this is something to be lauded.
Inertia is another electronic song, melding well with the folky melodies Benjamin includes in his music. It starts out in a busy fashion, before the drums quieten down temporarily on the first verse, as several synth melodies weave in and out of each other. The lyrics are really beautiful, serving the track well as a whole. There’s so much going on here that it’s hard to keep track of everything on the first listen, so make sure you play it several times over!
Flexure closes the EP out nicely, sounding like a perfect culmination of all the previous songs. The drums have more of an acoustic sound, with a real drumkit being used, as opposed to an electronic one. The huge drum sound works surprisingly well with the synths, coating the song like a blanket. The autotune is quite heavily used, but it’s not used in such a way as to hide Benjamin’s vocals – instead, it elevates them, adding another unique element to the track.
Uncanny Mountain is a really interesting EP. It starts out as a typical folk record, before the electronic moments jump into play, showing a capable musician full of skills. I’m very excited to hear what Loon Booster come up with next time around!
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