Moon Taxi: Mountains Beaches Cities

Moon Taxi
Mountains Beaches Cities
(BMG)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Nashville’s best kept secret is out. Since the release of Cabaret in early 2012, Moon Taxi have been on a steady climb away from the jam rock sound they built their reputation on, veering toward more radio-friendly, song-oriented material. For a record named Mountains Beaches Cities, Moon Taxi’s latest effort is surprisingly inorganic, but don’t go calling them Kings of Leon just yet. The quintet returns with a solid follow up that showcases the band’s ability to experiment sonically without sacrificing content (the 10 tracks clock in at just over 47 minutes). Even if it is pop music, Moon Taxi isn’t afraid to get trippy, and all the production in the world can’t mask the band’s earnest work ethic and hefty ambition. Despite the facelift, all the things that brought the band success are still intact, proving Moon Taxi is not only ready for the radio, they’re downright suited for it.