Kevin Bronson on December 1st, 2014

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Eastern Conference Champions’ noisy elegies to the human condition draw equally from classic rock and the abrasive alt-rock of the 1990s. Over a decade that has seen the core duo of singer-guitarist Joshua Ostrander and drummer Greg Lyons (now joined by guitarist Melissa Dougherty and bassist Phillip Munsey II) release two full-lengths and four EPs, ECC’s songs have taken the shape of either pugilistic rockers or a sort of beat poetry set to guitar. The new song “Mountaintops”, which debuted last week in a TV show, falls into the latter category; originally written for ECC’s great 2011 album “Speak-Ahh,” it finds Ostrander seeking shelter from the emotional storm, finding release and hope in the gospel-tinged outro “Let’s keep holding out for more.” A gorgeous meditation, and indicative of the contemplative side of the album ECC will release in the new year.

||| Stream: “Mountaintops”