What do you get when you combine raw acoustic folk with some high-end production? You get Mt Kili’s sophomore album, The Noticer.

By Graeme Smith

The album was crafted at Echo Mountain in Asheville, USA, working with GRAMMY Award-winners Julian Dreyer and David Glasser, elevating Mt Kili’s second effort to new heights. At its heart is gentle folk, pairing emotive vocals with acoustic guitar, giving us a story in which it’s easy to get lost.

That narrative was born singer-songwriter Rick Sichta’s experiences backpacking through China, Tibet, and to Mt Everest. I found the lyrics across the album’s ten tracks to be poetic and stirringly devastating.

At times they ruminate philosophically as in album opener Don’t Start a War and The Road Isn’t as Long as It Seems. At other moments, they are more interpersonal, as in Her Song. There are some direct reflections of the physical world, including The Rain Song, The Weather Report and highlight Strawberry Fields.

While Mt Kili is very much Sichta’s project, The Noticer brings in the additional talents including Laney Barnett on violin and vocals as well as the returning Matt Shepard on drums.

The Noticer beautifully interweaves intimate storytelling with subtly rich composition and proves a fantastic introduction to Mt Kili for us. The album is out now, and you can listen to it below.

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