Mount Eerie

Phil Elverum loves concept albums. While working under the indie-folk Microphones moniker, he released a trilogy of them, starting with 2000’s “It Was Hot, We Stayed in the Water,” followed by 2001’s “The Glow Pt. 2” and ending with 2003’s “Mount Eerie.” Now, performing under the name Mount Eerie, Elverum turns once again to the concept album for inspiration.

“Pre-Human Ideas” is a concept album in the truest sense of the term. The concept? Autotune and remix old Mount Eerie songs and slap them together on a slab of vinyl.

The results at best are interesting. Sometimes the lo-fi remixing serves the songs, but most times it clashes with them. More problematic are Elverum’s distorted-beyond-recognition vocals.

There might be a message about the conflict between technology and nature in the modern world, but after an hour of listening to what sounded like indie folk songs drowned in the bleeps and bloops of a depressed NES, I didn’t care.

I can’t even see why Elverum would rework Mount Eerie material. Compared to his Microphones output, Mount Eerie’s catalogue already sounds immaculate.

“Pre-Human Ideas” falls into the trap that every remix album does. Everyone but the die-hard fans will ignore it, and even the devoted will most likely only give it a few spins before putting it back on the shelf for good. Elverum’s “Ideas” come off as woefully half-baked.