Mohawk Castle reaches new heights with an ambitious album, "Stoners Trail"
There's almost a sense of rebirth running through "Stoners Trail”. It makes perfect sense once you understand where it's coming from too. Erik David Hidde, previously known for his work under the Prison Escapee alias, steps into this new chapter as Mohawk Castle with a sophomore album that felt genuinely groundbreaking to us, and after following his earlier work closely, we're thrilled to see just how much this new project has grown.
The album takes its title from a near death car accident Hidde survived as a young man, walking away from a totaled vehicle, seemingly untouched. That miraculous experience clearly shapes the emotional weight of this record, which doesn't shy away from heavy subject matter. Across these ten tracks, Hidde tackles everything from PTSD to the downtown LA riots, the Second Amendment, and “end times prophecy”, while also opening up about deeply personal territory. While we thought it did sound like a lot of ground to cover, the album handles it with real thoughtfulness and it never felt scattered.
Sonically, Mohawk Castle draws from a seriously eclectic mix of influences, with clear fingerprints from Animal Collective, LCD Soundsystem, and The National running throughout. At ten songs and thirty six minutes, the album moves through a real range of emotional highs and lows, hitting each one with real precision. The fact that those are three of our personal favorite bands, the expectations were high, but sincerely he blew right past them with how he tackled the homage at times.
The production work here is outstanding, giving the album a rich, layered texture that rewards close listening. Hidde's vocals are a particular standout, expressive and often used almost like another instrument woven into the mix rather than simply sitting on top of it. Some major standouts on that end were “City Slicker” and “Kings in Queens”. He lets his voice shift and blend with the instrumentation in ways that feel so inventive. Sometimes they’re higher up in the mix for a little more oomph in the production, but most of the time, they’re exactly where they need to be.
This is clearly a personal, deeply considered project, but it never feels indulgent or difficult to connect with. Instead, it invites you in, letting Hidde's exploration of trauma, faith, and hope unfold naturally across the record's runtime. We honestly think it’d be best enjoyed with multiple listens. The instrumentation and immersiveness of it all just to take in everything you’re hearing, but also a follow up to closely follow his words. Sometimes you can have one or the other, but where this album truly shines is on both the fronts converging together!
Retiring the Prison Escapee name to build something entirely his own was a bold move, and "Stoners Trail" proves it was absolutely the right one. This is a boundary pushing listen, full of heart and real artistic risk, and it stands as one of the more compelling album experiences we've come across this year. We’re urging everyone out there to give it a spin and of course to follow along to stay tuned for more.
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