For nearly 20 years, Stephen McBean, frontman of the excellently wooly Vancouver rockers Black Mountain, has also led the equally great side project Pink Mountaintops. There’s always been plenty of overlap between McBean’s two bands, in terms of both sound and personnel. Pink Mountaintops have always been slightly folkier and less metal than Black Mountain, though both have catalogs full of revved-up riffs and hypnotically chanted choruses. Lately, Pink Mountaintops have been inactive; it’s been eight years since their last album, the druggy and sweaty Get Back. This spring, Pink Mountaintops make their grand return.

This May, Pink Mountaintops will release their new album Peacock Pools, which started out as McBean recording demos by himself at his house outside LA early in the pandemic. For this album, the band’s lineup includes fellow Black Mountain members, as well as musicians who have played in Destroyer, Death Valley Girls, and Ryley Walker’s band. Ty Segall collaborator Emily Rose Epstein joins in on vocals, and legends like Redd Kross’ Steven McDonald and Melvins’ Dale Crover make contributions.

Lead single “Lights Of The City” is a fuzzy, comforting riff-rocker that goes deep on ’70s strains of boogie-rock. Director George Mays’ deeply silly video involves the current band lineup battling a mysterious Matrix-style agent with the power of eyebeams, teleportation, and cheesy special effects. Below, check out the “Lights Of The City” video, the Peacock Pools tracklist, and the dates for Pink Mountaintops forthcoming tour with old allies Dinosaur Jr.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Nervous Breakdown”
02 “Nikki Go Sudden”
03 “Blazing Eye”
04 “You Still Around”
05 “Shake The Dust”
06 “Swollen Maps”
07 “Lights Of The City”
08 “Miss Sundown”
09 “Lady Inverted Cross”
10 “Muscles”
11 “All This Death Is Killing Me”
12 “The Walk – Song For Amy”

TOUR DATES:
2/15 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
2/16-17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
2/19-20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
2/22 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
2/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
2/25 – Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater
2/26 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre

Peacock Pools is out 5/6 on ATO Records.