Coinciding with the comeback of fellow plunderphonic luminaries the Avalanches, Josh Davis returns with his first album in five years. Like the former, he no longer works exclusively in samples – though nor has he abandoned them entirely: an ambient 1970s composition forms the basis of the title track. But whether or not the majority of the music is original often seems besides the point – the irreverent, and sometimes slightly irritating, cut-and-paste aesthetic remains in place, proving that you can repurpose sound even if you’ve created it. On the Run the Jewels collaboration Nobody Speak, that involves clashing a brashly twanging riff with nerdily bleeping synths; on Depth Charge it means a combination of detuned guitar, sirens and drum rolls. Initially, it seems The Mountain Will Fall is walking a fine line between abrasive and amusing – particularly with the hyper-speedy scratching on The Sideshow. Once the onslaught of ideas becomes less disorienting, however, it just feels impressive in its inventiveness.
