Haunted Mountain is the third studio album by American musician Buck Meek, released on August 25, 2023, through 4AD. It was produced by Mat Davidson and recorded at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, live to tape.[1] The album received acclaim from critics.
Haunted Mountain received a score of 81 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on eight critics' reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[2]Mojo felt that "the songs are wonderfully non-toxic, obsessed in only the best possible way, [and] a refreshing take on country love and lust".[4]Uncut felt that Meek and producer Mat Davidson "gave the record a much more expansive, full-sounding presentation, a resounding and confident tone that matches these optimistic and often unfiltered emotions".[7]
AllMusic's Marcy Donelson wrote that the album "retains Buck's good-natured, rustic alt-country qualities, with the synths and live spontaneity providing touches of atmosphere and whimsy", calling it an "album of many strengths—poetic yet folksy lyrics, charming melodies, an A-plus band, and disarming sincerity".[1] Stephen M. Deusner described it as "full of songs about getting lost and finding yourself, about the pleasure of disorientation and the new perspective reorientation can bring".[5]
Eric Hill of Exclaim! remarked that the "psychedelic twist" of songs like "Undae Dunes" is "what gives Haunted Mountain, and much of Meek's discography, the fuel to rocket past so many nostalgia-minded country bandwagoners".[3] Reviewing the album for The Skinny, Jo Higgs stated that it "engages a wider dynamic variety than either of Meek's two prior solo records, reaching further towards both jolting rock arrangements and lullingly mesmeric minimalism".[6] Chris Thiessen of Under the Radar opined that "aided by his folk-rocking instrumentalists, [Meek] delivers his fullest and most complete project to date".[8]
