I Build Collapsible Mountains

I Build Collapsible Mountains is the solo project of musician and photographer Luke Joyce, and this, his self-titled EP experiencing a US release of sorts, was released on 26 April through Burning Building Recordings. If you aren't already familiar with Luke's sound then you are most certainly in for a treat my dahling wasps - never mind that I have already interviewed Luke and posted some videos of him singing. Silly forgetful wasps! So anyways, I can't imagine you not falling for IBCM after pressing play on Rails, or falling further into a collapsible state of adoration for the artist as he sings about a perfect day on Where We Go Tomorrow. One song compliments the other, the songwriting is Death Cab For Cutie perfect throughout, and the voice, the voice is the constant.

I often think Luke sounds a little embarrassed for his talent when he sings. Or maybe he's just shy. Not that it matters, as with lines like 'and i would bend backwards for you, break my own legs if i had to' delivered with such sincerity you can't help but feel you want to marry his mouth.
- Portis Wasp

The Seventeenth Century, Come On Gang and I Build Collapsible Mountains live at The Classic Grand, Glasgow


Beauty and the beast. Beauty first. She pours me a Guinness. She has eyes that you just want to dive right into. She makes me forget that I have somewhere to go and some bands to review. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Onwards to the Classic Grand for a Glasgow blogger co-production as Peenko and Ayetunes gather together the combined musical forces of I Build Collapsible Mountains, Come On Gang and The Seventeenth Century for an evening of diverse pleasures.

So, starting things off was I Build Collapsible Mountains and it would be hard to think of anyone less likely to cause an outbreak of dancing that this one rather normal looking guy and his acoustic guitar. His songs, however, step away from norm and burn with the fire of a bitter, twisted soul. He was not a case of headphone music however and you were never in any doubt that the blood hasn’t dried on the wounds that gave rise to his words. Dark and vaguely discomforting, I Build Collapsible Mountains nevertheless struck a chord.

Rather friendlier to the dance floor were Come On Gang. Despite hailing from Edinburgh, their geographical starting point hadn’t apparently done their foot tapping take on post Postcard guitar pop any harm at all and it wasn’t long before a dumb grin crept across the face of this unusually sober reviewer. With lashings of jagged guitar, an endearingly quirky approach and the remarkably alluring voice of the female drummer, Come On Gang proved they had all the ingredients to make scones. I meant songs. Three minute pop scones at that.

But who - I hear you say - had the audience come to see? It wasn’t that hard to work out as there was only one band left. The Seventeenth Century duly took to the stage and delivered the goods. Subjugating melody with grandiose musical statements, The Seventeenth Century had clearly set themselves up to catch bigger fish than tonight’s audience who, almost as one, swayed to the hypnotic rhythms that highlighted both this band’s folk influences and the simple fact that they work hard for the money. The highlight for me was watching the floppy fringed, sweat soaked Mark Farmer getting himself and his violin “into the zone”, theatrically speaking. No doubt similarly impressed, the audience applauded. As well they should.

And finally back to the beast. Watch in wonder as a bunch of hoodie wearing, nicotine addicted runts attempted to attack another bunch of hoodie wearing nicotine addicted runts who were getting on a 62 bus. The future’s so bright I gotta wear shades…

Reviewer: Handsome Bluesbunny
Review Date: 5 November 2010 - Blue Bunny

How many acoustic artists have you heard in your lifetime? I am into my thousands now and like smoke from a chimney, most of them just seem to dissipate into the skyline.

I Build Collapsible Mountains was born from former Gothenburg Address guitarist Luke Joyce, and as far as stereotyping his new project, the only comparison you can make to the previous is the beautiful imagery that both names create. This isn’t just another acoustic artist; I Build Collapsible Mountains is like fire on a landscape.

I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to hear his initial compositions and when Red Bleeds The Skyline hit my ears it was like a rainstorm. Not any old rainstorm, but that odd one that you stand in when you are feeling impulsive. Joyce’s vocals have the most exquisite gravel to them that is not only melancholy delight, but you almost fall in love through listening. Steady and simple guitar passages are tinged at times with strategic percussion. These beats are sometimes so impulsive that they feel like mini concussions, however, they bind certain songs and are as necessary as a heartbeat. Lyrically, Joyce writes the one truth worth caring for; it is as simple as that.

And The City Sleeps was the other track that shone for me and again I think this is because of his breath taking lyrics. Lines such as ‘she blows smoke into his chest, he burn hearts into her flesh’ are sung with a delicate cry whilst in the background you have the shimmering reverb of full bodied guitar. The simple clarity that songs like this create is nothing short of revelation.

I Build Collapsible Mountains is an artist that is as human as the rest of us. He has created an album in ‘A Month Of Lost Memories’ that is superbly crafted and ultimately mesmerising. Instrumental acoustic guitar passages on tracks such as Over Hills are so enchanting they are like resting your head on your lover’s chest. The simplicity of this album breaks down the barrier between Joyce and his audience and whilst his character is preposterously shy, this album is his megaphone to his emotions. I can only describe ‘A Month Of Lost Memories’ as being caught in the most beautiful dream whilst waiting for life to wake you and I up again.

Halina Rifai - Glasgow Podcart

The singer songwriter is a much maligned individual – and quite rightly so in the majority of cases – as they exorcise their, usually rather small, demons with little more than angst and an acoustic guitar to stop them from falling into the pit of mediocrity.

Then from amongst the dross comes a voice that stands tall and (almost) proud. I Build Collapsible Mountains (an alias for Luke Joyce formerly of Edinburgh band The Gothenburg Address) has almost shoegaze levels of downbeat intensity as song after song express the consequences of emotional damage. However, the difference between I Build Collapsible Mountains and the pretenders is the obvious intelligence of the lyrics and what I hope is black humour - “…my love is on your bathroom tiles” from “Slow Approacher”, for example. Hear it and you’ll know what is like to be a stalker. Likewise, “And The City Sleeps” describes the dubious pleasures of mutual masochism in song (mutual masochism being the technical term for a relationship in orbital decay, of course) as you begin to wonder if wearing your heart on your sleeve is actually a somewhat direct route to a prison cell.

“A Month of Lost Memories” is not an album that many will be able to take in one go. The near relentless melancholy is a potent musical weapon – and here it is most definitely a weapon in the right hands – but it is best experienced in small doses unless it has been some time since you had a proximity encounter with breasts. In such circumstances, this is the album that will bring a tear of recognition to your eye. If you “get” the entire album then you are probably looking at the world through barred windows.

Available from Bandcamp amongst other places.
- Bluesbunny Music review

'The debut album from I Build Collapsible Mountains is a thing of restrained beauty. At times it puts me in mind of Damien Rice and Withered Hand, all the while retaining a unique intimacy wholly of its own. Often little more than acoustic guitar and vocals, other sparse instrumentation is intended merely to compliment Luke Joyce’s superb voice which remains the main focal point of the music throughout. Only handclaps accompany the voice and guitar in Easily Lead, and the song’s ‘days can’t start when the sky is in parts, you know I’m easily lead’ refrain will ring around your head for days. The languid, lilting Smoke & Flesh is reminiscent of the more muted moments of the now sadly defunct-and-forgotten Fields, with its soaring guitar subtly swilling around in the background.

The highlight for me however is Rails. The gorgeous melody and stomping rhythm builds and builds, never quite reaching the explosive climax you expect. Instead, it drops unexpectedly to near silence permeated only by a solitary glockenspiel. Probably best listened to with headphones in the dark, A Month Of Lost Memories is one I’ll be going back to listen to again and again for a long while yet. An excellent collection of intimate, beautiful laments.' - Robert Canavan - Campfires in Winter

From one extreme to another, Luke Joyce, front man of Edinburgh post-rock instrumental band, 'The Gothenburg Address', will take many by surprise with the new direction he's taken as 'I Build Collapsible Mountains'. His forthcoming mini-album, 'A Month Of Lost Memories' is a lo-fi acoustic journey filled with hushed intensity and melancholy. - Peenko Music Blog.