Cymbals Eat Guitars

• Daniel Baer - Keyboards, Piano
• Neil Berenholz - Bass
• Joseph D'agostino - Guitar, Vocals, Composer
• Brian Hamilton - Keyboards, Piano
• Matthew Miller - Drums, Percussion

Recording personnel

• Kyle "Slick" Johnson - Engineer, Mixing, Percussion, Producer
• Dave McNair - Mastering

Additional personnel

• Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen - Trombone
• Matt Gasiorowski - Trumpet
• Marika Hughes - Cello
• Megan Weeder - Violin
• Lizzy Yoder - Vocals

Reception

Why There Are Mountains received mostly positive reviews from critics. The album currently has a 78 out of 100 rating on the review aggregate site Metacritic, which indicates "generally favorable reviews."

Ian Cohen of Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

 gave the album an 8.3/10, writing "Why There Are Mountains ends up being like any great result of wanderlust--here, the journey is the end not the means; fortunately, that gives Why There Are Mountains astounding replay value." The album also received a "Best New Music" designation in the review.

The album has appeared on a few end-of-year albums lists. Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media

Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...

 named Why There Are Mountains the 43rd best album of 2009. It was also named the number one album of the year on The Daily Cardinal

The Daily Cardinal

The Daily Cardinal is a student newspaper that serves the University of Wisconsin–Madison community. The sixth oldest daily student newspaper in the country, it began publishing on Monday, April 4, 1892...

's list of the Top 15 Albums of 2009.