I don’t mean to wax poetic (after all, this is about the music), but Fire Mountain’s “Of The Dust” fell into my hands at a particularly interesting time.

I received this record for review about a week before I packed up my life in New York and relocated to Atlanta. I can’t think of a better soundtrack for my triumphant return to Dixie.

The Alabama band’s second record is a collection of songs that seem to me to explore the unpredictable nature of life, and the mixed emotions that come from grappling with that reality – a growing pain I trust is not foreign to most of you reading this post. The songs are sweet, thoughtful but not overly sentimental, as if lead singer, Perry Brown is merely commenting on universal truths. I like the effect.

My personal situation may have influenced my perception of the album, but it is definitely worth a listen, in particular the opening track “Black Heart”, the searching “No One’s Help”, and the eerie-nostalgic “Torch.”

“Of The Dust” is a great example of solid Southern folk rock and yet avoids cliché. This is a record that can be played on repeat (trust me, it’s a long way to Georgia from Brooklyn), is best played after dark, and (assuming you’re not hauling your possessions down the highway) should undoubtedly be paired with a whiskey on the rocks.