In the Heart of the Mountain Vinyl LP

1. In the Heart of the Mountain
2. The Darkness Sings
3. A Bleak Overture
4. From a Western or a War Movie
5. While the Stars Disappear
6. Fading Back Into the Night
7. I’m in Over My Head
8. She’s Starlight in the River
9. The Prayer
10. The Swamper’s Lament
11. The Devil Takes His Leave

In the Heart of the Mountain is Ben Nichols’ first solo album since The Last Pale Light in the West. Although not a concept album, the song titles in sequence do read as a kind of poem.

In the heart of the mountain
The darkness sings
A bleak overture
From a western or a war movie
While the stars disappear
Fading back into the night
I’m in over my head
She’s starlight in the river
The prayer
The swamper’s lament
The devil takes his leave

The album features Nichols on acoustic guitar and vocals, as well as the occasional electric guitar solo and percussion. He is accompanied by Morgan Eve Swain (The Huntress and the Holder of Hands, The Devil Makes Three, Brown Bird) on violin and backing vocals, Cory Branan on electric and acoustic guitars, and Todd Beene (Chuck Ragan, Glossary) on pedal steel and electric guitars. It was recorded at Southern Grooves studio in Memphis, Tennessee with Matt Ross-Spang as the recording and mixing engineer.