Product Description

After gaining praise in the US, for this their debut release, and touring with various rising folk stars, 'Espers' is released in the UK via V2 records. Taking influence from classic folk rock bands of the seventies - including Fairport Convention and The Incredible String Band - the album sees thePhiladelphian six-piece successfully mix the sounds of acid-folk with sixties inspired chamber rock.

Track Listing

1. Flowery Noontide
2. Meadow
3. Riding
4. Voices
5. Hearts And Daggers
6. Byss And Abyss
7. Daughter
8. Travel Mountains

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52464 in Music
• Released on: 2005-08-15
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Perhaps the most accessible band to emerge from the movement coined "the New Weird America" thus far, Philadelphia sextet Espers conjure up an intricate, medieval-tinged folk sound that borders on the meditative, but to their great credit, cares never to slip into tedium. Built around the spectral interlocking voices of Greg Weeks and Meg Baird, the likes of "Flowery Noontide" and "Voices" bloom with instrumentation of diverse, baroque design: guitars, dulcimer, autoharp, violin, cello, and a grab-bag of muted background percussion. Like the music of Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom, it's ancient-sounding and often excessively mannered. But Espers are no basket-weaving Luddites, making like they've beamed this in fresh from the 14th Century: "Hearts and Daggers" is undercut by shimmering electronics, while "Riding" explodes into an electric guitar solo of mid-pace but significant fury.

Folk enthusiasts will quote names like Pentangle or the Incredible String Band by way of explanation, but anyone bewitched by the music of Low or Devendra Banhart should endeavour to fall under Espers' spell. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews

Espering
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.

Not great...
For some reason I was expecting a lot from this album. First thing I have to comment on is that they really should die from overuse of minor keys, in particular harmonic minor keys. They remind me of muse a hell of a lot mainly because they are so obsessed with harmonic minor keys and miserable and repetative themes.
There is one song that has a little sign of optimism in it and behold - its the shortest song in the album. The band is not altogether disasterous, but they are also not revolutionary by any means at all.
The thing that I was expecting from this band was a very natural feel to start with, what with the titles of their songs and so forth. But unless the world has suddenly become swamped with roseless rose bushes which may very well prick and sting you everywhere you go, I don't think this album embraces nature at all, even if you were in the forest at night time.

I was expecting to have a band that understood for example, the mysteries of nature, or else had a sense of ore about it, but instead I got a sense of people taking too many drugs, which doesn't say anything about anything much.

But who knows, my mind may change for I've only just completed my second hearing but I'm pretty sure my mind won't change.

Superb folky music with psychedelic manson family twist
Found these guys by accident and they're great. This album opens with "Flowery Moontide", beautiful female vocals with haunting strings and a "Wicker Man" feel about it. They're a folky outfit, organic, psychedelic and if you like the first track I'm sure you'll agree the album is consistant.
I'm a great fan of Smog and Iron and Wine and although different I fell for this album straight away.