Black Mountain

Give a listen to “Mothers of the Sun,” the opening tune on Vancouver, B.C., band Black Mountain’s new album IV, and you quickly realize the folly of trying to categorize them with easy labels. The sprawling piece stretches over eight minutes, and along the way touches on orchestral pop, dives into some seriously metal riffing, highlights some ethereal harmonies from singer Amber Webber and guitarist Stephen McBean, and wallows in psychedelic flourishes that are seriously mind-boggling. Elsewhere on the new album, there are delicate ballads like “Line Them All Up” and funk-fortified rave-ups like “Space to Bakersfield,” all of which serve to show that Black Mountain is one of the most ambitious and skilled bands around.