Despite having been released earlier this year, ‘The Noticer’ is still extremely relevant, as the vast amount of press attention it received clearly showcases. The project goes by the moniker Mt. Kili, and it comprises head honcho and singer-songwriter Rick Sichta as well as drummer and percussionist Matt Shepard and featured singer and violinist Laney Barnett, both prominent collaborators on ‘The Noticer’.
From a sonic standpoint, the record embraces simplicity and a certain minimalism, finding its main formula in gentle acoustic guitars, luscious fiddles and restrained rhythms. Crowning it all, we find Sichta’s nostalgic, sombre vocals. Overall, ‘The Noticer’ has positively impressed us, thanks to its intimate tenderness and cathartic resolve. Among its evocative folk episodes, the album invites listeners into a safe space, one that’s rooted in the singer-songwriter tradition as well as in distant Americana influences.
Delving deeper into the record’s lyrical ethos, Sichta explains: “Across the record’s ten songs: a memorial for a friend gone too young (‘Kyle’), weather as emotional barometer (‘The Weather Report’), and a closing promise that patience pays (‘All in Good Time’)”. It’s curious how all of the songs offer something peculiar, with Rick constantly noticing a distant memory, a specific emotion, or getting lost in bucolic beauty. In that sense, ‘The Noticer’ makes a lot of sense, also pushing to the roots of what it means to be a singer-songwriter, a storyteller: describing the world around you in resonant terms.
Recommended! Discover ‘The Noticer’ now: