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| Miracle Temple is released on February 26, 2013 on Merge Records |
Mount Moriah are capable of exploring a vast array of emotions and textures within their albums, and their full-length debut on Merge Records does so in a way that Mount Moriah has never done before. While Mount Moriah was filled with just enough sheen and substance to attract fans in droves, Miracle Temple shows the true depth of this talented act by displaying a refined and enriching piece of music.
Within the opening seconds of "Younger Days" we're greeted with a nostalgia-tinged line from McEntire that seems to glide over the crisp guitar-work from Jenks Miller, "You were always wild" croons Heather in a track that laments on the hopelessness that comes with being left behind. "August is over, so when are you coming back?", it's a reprise found within "Younger Days" that feels so bright texturally, but upon further inspection proves itself to reek of abandonment. Mount Moriah's music doesn't dwell on this sadness though, but rather embraces the full spectrum of our emotions. A track like "Younger Days" serves as the perfect opener for Miracle Temple, it's bright and catchy and perfectly transitions into the bouncy, anthemic track "Bright Lights", but even then it's a song that contains multitudes. Most of Mount Moriah's songs do. There's the surface aesthetic that a listener can immediately appreciate, but there's also a veil to be peeled back that opens up a possibility to truly connect with this artist. Miracle Temple is filled with big-town dreams from a small-town perspective, lyrics that are filled with a deep desire to clutch on to some sense of security.
