La Need Machine is a band based in Seattle led by guitarist Al and co-lead singers Brian and Elise. They primarily produce music in the genre of Indie-Rock that is influenced by a variety of other genres like Pop, Punk-and-Roll and Americana. They have a strong sense of community and support various charities like The Trevor Project, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Ukraine Response Fund and many more through their music and videos! Their latest single “The Mountain” is a laid-back track on the theme of turbulence in love.

“The Mountain” has very simple production and limited elements that bring a soothing effect to the track. The beautiful strings the track starts off with flows throughout the track and brings up some strong emotions. While the percussion is chill, the guitar solo is short and sweet.

It is rare to witness both the acoustic guitar and electric guitar play prominent roles in a rock track, but “The Mountain” balances them perfectly and lets each of them have their own moments in the spotlight. I enjoyed the partnership between the male and female vocals, the latter always following and backing up the former. The back-up vocals and ambient vocals added a lot to the texture of the single in my opinion.

The songwriting explores the strength of a relationship and its capacity to go through the highs and lows of conflict. I thought the thunder sound effect when the words “Stormy weather” are uttered was a nice touch.  The storyline on the bridge to felt a little disconnected from the theme of the rest of the track. The single refers to natural roadblocks like mountains, seas and coast perhaps with the intention to claim that problems are in fact natural and the physical strength it takes to get through geographical barriers is equivalent to the mental strength it might take to resolve these challenges.

The home-like production adds to the charm of the track! Make sure to check out “The Mountain” by La Need Machine here: