Quimby Mountain Band: Move On

Becoming a festival favorite and familiar to various college campuses is Quimby Mountain Band. The quintet from Hackettstown, NJ, blends funk, blues, rock, country, reggae and soul in their second release, Move On.

The first thing I noticed upon listening to this album is that it’s more country, blues and reggae than anything else. Sure there are bits and pieces of funk and soul, but they are subtle. Lead singer Jesse Bardwell really does make the ensemble with his signature style; deep, sometimes raspy and other times smooth singing. He’s most similar to Neil Fallon from Clutch or Chris Robinson from Black Crowes.

I hear these influences mostly in “Move On” and “Havin’ Time.” Both tracks work in smooth harmonies with a country-blues influence. When backup vocals come in by Matt Schmidt (guitar, keys) and Harry Noble (guitar, lap steel), the threesome do a fine job layering each vocal part on top of one another creating a clear and harmonious sound. Typically identified as a jam band, I liked that this studio effort isn’t too jammy. Their songs are very structured and concise.

The young band has an enormous amount of talent and it’s incredible to hear them playing such mature, well-written tunes. It’s no wonder they’ve gotten as far as they have in such little time.

In A Word: Flowing