Let the quality folk rock continue to waft across the pond. England has produced a heaping helping of the genre’s biggest names for decades, and with just one song, Treetop Flyers recreated the best of that sound. From the opening lick of “Houses Are Burning,” you are thrust into a convertible en route to a Crosby, Stills & Nash show. Similar to the multinational make up of that supergroup, Treetop Flyers boast one foreigner in their midst. Instead of a lone Brit at the heart of the folk rock cradle that was the Californian coast, the sole American in the Flyers has deposited himself deep within the current hotbed of English talent.
Unlike fellow Brits Mumford & Sons or even the Stephen Stills song from which the Treetop Flyers derive their name, it is the electric notes that stand out above the rest. This is material prime for classic rock catalogs. The lingering guitar floating throughout “Houses Are Burning” is tough to pinpoint as fed by wind gusts over the Pacific Coast Highway or the white cliffs of Dover, making The Mountain Moves a debut both perfectly timed and timeless. In a tradition-rich genre, Treetop Flyers have the look and feel of vintage West Coast folk rock, while sliding nicely into the current English revival.