Moving Mountains consists of singer and guitarist Miles McHugh, Jeff “Woody” Woodruff on drums and percussion, bassist Chris Meeker, and keyboardist and accordion player Lou Chitty. It’s a diverse bunch of performers with fine chops. All of the members have academic backgrounds in music, except for McHugh, who is the principal songwriter. He and Chitty also play in Into the Now, a classic rock tribute band primarily devoted to the music of the Grateful Dead.
The recording sessions behind “This Quiet World” took it to locations such as The Green Room, and studios at Finger Lakes Community College, as well as the Eastman School of Music. The unrushed process allowed Moving Mountains to focus on finding the best versions of its songs, permitting the material to shine.
“This Quiet World” rolls out with “Funk Chunk,” a tune that could easily separate a butt from a barstool. It begins with a straightforward guitar riff from McHugh, before quickly kicking into a more complex arrangement with vocal harmonies and, eventually, some impressive keyboard pyrotechnics by Chitty.
The tunes that follow do a good job of creating various stylistic moods. “Breathe” sways with old-school reggae vibes, “Amnesiac'' utilizes Latin rhythms, and “Stay Away” features the sort of folk-meets-world-beat groove that has launched thousands of summer festivals.
Moving Mountains has fun delving into the instrumental side of things with more depth than most bands. That approach keeps things fresh and makes “This Quiet World” an album you’ll come back to for additional listens.
Roman Divezur is a freelance writer for CITY. Feedback on this article can be directed to [email protected].
