I Build Collapsible Mountains - A Month Of Lost Memories

It is always interesting when a member of a band takes a step in a different direction, Luke Joyce former shoegazer guitarist in The Gothenburg Address has done just that. His frankly ridiculously named folk project I Build Collapsible Mountains is obviously the music he felt he should have been making and A Month Of Lost Memories is an ocean away from his former band's sound. A voice and acoustic guitar is more is, perhaps, a little more daring than hiding behind a wall of reverb as Joyce certainly bares his soul on this record. 'Rails' is fairly paint-by-numbers Americana but there is something intriguing about how earnest Joyce's voice seems whilst singing it. 'To The Dark' is a drum lead affair which tumbles along in a nice juxtaposition to 'Rails'. The rest of the album reverts back to the simply guitar/voice combo. 'Slowapproacher', 'Switches' and closer 'And The City Sleeps' are clearly extremely personal songs and this comes across in everything about them; the singing, the playing, the lyrics.

There may not be enough variation or digression in sound to hold the non-folk fans attention here, but if you do enjoy relaxing and simple folk then this is for you. You have to admire Joyce for clearly choosing to make a record he has wanted to. In doing so it never seems conceited or self-absorbed, yet feels extremely personal. I might not know what I Build Collapsible Mountains means but I certainly know what its purpose is.