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
|
