Having raised a fair few eyebrows with their first album (and in particular, the stunning single "Smother + Evil = Hurt") The Kissaway Trail return with Sleep Mountain.When The Kissaway Trail first appeared, hopes were high. The band's style relied heavily on the influence of many bands most notably; Sigur Ros, Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire, but it was thought that the band would slowly develop their own style and grow into something quite special.Those expecting The Kissaway Trail to have left the path beaten by their influences are going to be sorely disappointed. If anything, the band has perfected their magpie methods further. So while Sleep Mountain might be a pile of ideas that aren't entirely original, these songs are nevertheless beautifully formed and created.Opening song "SDP" throws everything at the wall to see what sticks, and surprisingly most of it does. Motorik beats? Check. Bells? Check. Huge swelling melodies and aching vocals? Check.With its forceful bass line, a melody cribbed from "Eton Rifles" (seriously) the addition of a choir and those bells, "SDP" is a massive statement of intent, made all the more glorious thanks to some lush production that calls to mind the Phil Spector Wall of Sound. In fact the production work of Peter Katis (The National and Interpol) is key to the success of this album, making these songs sound full and thunderous but also delicate and winsome when called for.If things falter slightly with "Painter", a laid back chunk of vocal sorrow made good thanks to fine production work, then the band find their stride again with "New Year". Essentially a masterclass in how to write emotive Scandinavian indie pop; it hints at Sigur Ros, whilst pinching those choral parts that Arcade Fire are so famed for. However, the military nature of the drums, the incessant thundering of the piano juxtaposed with some beautiful guitar work and the imagery of the lyrics means that it is a sum of its parts rather than a work of homage.The slow build of "Friendly Fire" is stunning, developing from a simple xylophone motif to a thunderous post-rock tinged anthem that should only exist if Hi-De-Hi had been scored by 65Daysofstatic and Flaming Lips. The sensitive vocals mixed with some perfectly judged orchestration and electronic interjections make this one of the high points of the album. "Beat Your Heartbeat" follows, and although it seems to recycle some of the melodies found on "SDP" and "Friendly Fire", its anthemic nature ensures that it will almost certainly make an appearance in a sporting montage sometime soon.The cover of Neil Young's "Philadelphia" is absolutely incredible. The cracked vocals fit the content perfectly, as does the simplistic instrumentation that initially underpins it. When the beautifully arranged orchestration sweeps in, introduced by some Spectoresque drums, it is clear that this is probably one of the finest moments of The Kissaway Trail's career so far."New Lipstick" kicks off like Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" with a single kick drum and some mandolin. A punchy accordion soon takes over, and before long The Kissaway Trail are plunging into a perfectly realised Celtic tinged pop anthem. For some inexplicable reason the middle eight drifts off into Hammer Horror territory, but by then the undeniable thrust of what's preceded it has ensured that there's no bailing out at that point. By the end, there's another tick in the box marked "sporting triumph/disaster montage".Sleep Mountain then, is a good solid album. It may not be breaking any new ground, but there are enough great songs to be found here that the need to be sonic adventurers is rendered insignificant.