Espers II

The new Espers album is called Espers II, but this is a misleading title for a couple reasons. For one, the band has doubled in size, and that never happens without a drastic change in sound. And as a result, Espers II doesn't really sound all that much like Espers did. The focus of the music has changed to a more group-vibe setting rather than focusing on the songs.

At any rate, this is one my most eagerly anticipated new albums, even more than the new Fiery Furnaces album. I happen to love the first Espers album, and the covers album The Weed Tree, and Greg Weeks' solo work, and I've written bits about them over and over and over and over and over.

So does it live up to my expectations? Not really, but how could it? It has real problems, though, not just failure to live up to unrealistic expectations.

For one thing, almost half of the album is filled with what can only be described as "jamming." Granted, it sounds like no Phish record you've ever heard. Maybe "freakout" would be a better term for it, in the psychedelic tradition of Syd Barrett or Jorma Kaukonen. But the Espers version of it is a plodding, dirge-like march of dread and sadness, filled out by acid guitar leads, droning vintage synthesizers, and amplified cello. This is interesting sometimes, as in the opener "Dead Queen," but eventually just gets boring, as in "Dead King." (No typos in there, "Dead Queen" and "Dead King" are both songs on the album.)

There are many fantastic moments on Espers II. "Dead Queen" has the airy sense of timelessness that was found on their first album. The folkier side also comes out for "Children of Stone," which is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard in a long time.

The best moments, though, are songs like "Widow's Weed" and "Moon Occults the Sun." These songs represent something of a step toward the evolution of folk music into something that's definitely folk, but definitely a step beyond, not quite into rock, but into something altogether new, with all the crawling apocalyptic gloom of Godspeed You Black Emperor! or A Silver Mt. Zion. Call it post-folk.

Overall, I'm not entirely sure if I like the new direction Espers have taken. It's occasionally exquisite, but somewhat inconsistent. Maybe the kinks will be worked out by their next album, because it still sounds like they're getting used to playing with actual drums sometimes. And Otto (the drummer) sounds like he's still figuring out where he fits in.

Final verdict: Espers II is a transitional album, a step in a new direction, but they haven't quite arrived at their destination. I'll value it for its many great moments, and look forward to seeing what they can do in the future.