Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dream folk, July 4, 2005
Psych-folk trio Espers get it right on the first try in their self-titled debut. While their summery, acid-tinged kind of folk occasionally misfires on the indie-rock route, when it sticks to dilated pupils, Appalachian fiddles and sparkling chimes, it stays a good thing.
It opens with a song that pretty much sums up what the sound is all about: "Flowery Noontide." It opens with soft windchimes, right before a flute, guitar and Meg Baird's indistinct vocals kick in. It proceeds pretty much in that vein, sounding like a stoned summer afternoon at the Renaissance Festival. In short, quite good.
That lush folk sound continues throughout the album, mixing stately folk tunes with fuzz and some classical flourishes. Songs like "Meadow" err on the side of folk, despite that implosive riff. On the other hand, "Hearts and Daggers" veers over to Neutral Milk Hotel-like indie-rock, with weird flourishes and thick fuzz.
Actually, that indie-rock bent does have its weakness -- Espers sometimes seem unsure what to do with all the indie flourishes. "Riding" is downright painful to listen to at high volumes, because of a riff that completely drowns out the delicate acoustic layers.
Fortunately by the end of the album, they seem to have grasped how it should sound. And the fragile stoner folk sound is remarkably pretty, without the grounded sound that people usually associate with folk. This stuff is up in the sky, and it's staying there.
Meg Baird and Greg Weeks share vocal duties, and they both sound sweet and laid-back, although I had difficulty hearing what Meg was saying. Then again, the lyrics seem to fade away in front of the lush instrumentation -- acoustic
guitar and fiddle, often overlaid with an otherworldly flute, chimes, dulcimer and classical strings.
Espers' self-titled debut is a charming, sweet trip through layers of acid-folk. Best listened to on a lazy summer day, with wind-chimes and crickets.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A modern classic!, March 13, 2004
No joke. This is one of the best albums I have heard in years. The mix of psychedelia, indie rock and peak Vanguard era acid folk is perfectly on target without sounding like a study in the classics. In other words, the feeling is natural not forced. If you like the best albums by the Incredible String Band, Pentangle, Fairport Convention and the sweet pop balladry of the singer/songwriter heyday by people like Bridget St. John, Nick Drake, Jackson C. Franck, then this CD is an absolute must. It's perfectly arranged and wonderfully conceived and getting into it is totally effortless. I don't normally start thinking about my top 10 discs in March but this is already numero uno and unless an 8th wonder springs out from the earth, it will stay that way.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful change of pace, March 13, 2004
By A Customer
I agree about what the above reviewer said. This is quite typical of the classic late 60's/early 70's psych folk scene. Adding to the list of bands mentioned in the other review, I'd like to add the gorgeous Scottish/psych/folk band "Bread, Love and Dreams" who influenced Espers. "Bread, Love and Dreams" released 3 classics in 1969/1970/1971 which Espers went out of their way (on their web-site) to mention "Bread, Love and Dreams". Although there's nothing innovative about what Espers has done, I can sure toot the horn for them and say "It's about time that good music is being done again since music has really gone on the decline since the glory days of the British folk/rock invasion". Accoustic guitars, strings and etheral vocals (both female and male) abound. Again, if you end up liking Espers, investigate "Amaryllis", "Strange tales of Captain Shannon and the Hunchback of Gigha" and the "S/t" albums from Bread, Love and Dreams and discover the big influence on Espers. You'll love and treasure those albums as well.
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