Espers - Espers

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Music reviews of Espers

Music Review: Flowery Noontide
Rating: 4 Stars

Most songs showcase some flavor of stripped down acoustic guitar work, complete with the subtle sounds of fingers scratching along the strings. Often a simple flute or dark stringed instrument comes in to assist, and Greg's voice and a female vocalist (not sure whom) either playing off each other or harmonizing. Permeated with minor keys, the pieces are generally foreboding, usually culminateing in the inevitable psilosybin-esque breakdown. These frenzied freak outs are my favorite part. For example, when "Hearts and Daggers" fuzzes out into a flurry of flutes and flossy keyboards it conjures up memories of "Space Odyssey" by The Byrds. And you can read any number of reviews and see comparisons to a number of other contemporary and classic acid-folk acts, but I like to through curveballs, so here comes an odd comparison. With the haunting, apprehensive tone in most of the songs, coupled with clean acoustic guitars I can't help but note a comparison no one else has seen. Early Black Sabbath always seemed to produce at least one haunting instrumental ballad per album, I get a sense of that here. Seriously, go listen to "Orchid" off Master of Reality, then "Riding" by Espers... or maybe "Byss and Abyss" back to back with Sabbath Bloody Sabbath's gem "Fluff".

All in all, I really like this album, but my dig on it is after a bit it is kind of formula driven. The aforementioned song structure occurs on just about every song. Guitar + Flute/Strings + Droning Voices. Punctuated by outbursts of psych twisting sonic whirlwinds that overshadow everything else however, this album is well worth checking out. A bit repetitive at the openings, but when the songs peak they are first class. Best track? Probably "Travel Mountain" with its slipstream of ghostly vocal mixing in the background.

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