REVIEW

The fourth album from Argentina-based solo project Ural Mountains.

Ural Mountains is the solo project of French musician Cyril Degilles, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which he started in 2013. The project pursues a sound that blends dream pop with post-punk influences. Throughout the album, shimmering guitars evoke a clear lineage to DIIV, yet the vocals here are more wistful and luscious than their inspiration, and the melodies carry an almost painfully cold edge, resulting in what appears to be the project’s darkest work to date.

Notably, tracks like #2 “Gust” and #7 “Softly As It Comes” feature heavier, more driving shoegaze elements. A highlight is #4 “Harbour,” featuring Death of Heather, where ethereal, delicate vocals float over an icy Whirr-like atmosphere. It’s intriguing to imagine how these two artists, working from Thailand and Argentina respectively, came to collaborate across such distant locations.