The Acorn – No Ghost (Bella Union)
4/5
By: Chalky
As indie folk band The Acorn unpacked their guitars and debated over who had which bedroom in their isolated log cabin/recording studio in Northern Quebec, they must have felt a certain weight of expectation to deliver following the success of their Polarias-nominated previous release, Glory Hope Mountain. However, changing your focus from an album recalling your mother’s turbulent past must have also provided to a certain degree, a collective sense of relief, giving the band an opportunity to cut loose and pursue a new direction.
No Ghost embraces a more free spirited sound than its predecessor, casually flitting between tender acoustic offerings of ‘On The Line’, to the more guitar heavy ‘I Made The Law’ and the electronic distortions of ‘Cobbled From Dust’. There’s an almost festival jam vibe to songs like ‘Bobcat Goldwraith’, where they conjure up the kind of grooves that make you wish you had a pair of drumsticks to join in. At the same time, none of the songs feel like they are dragging or overly self indulgent - if anything, they’re too short.
Although musically beautiful, the lyrics can be somewhat harrowing. Rolf Klausener’s tender delivery of ‘Slippery When Wet’ has the power to floor you. He sings “Oh the love I thought we had/a tyre tread that slips when wet/I convince myself of my belief/behind each branch a fallen leaf” accompanied by a softly plucked banjo and a delicate violin solo. And amid the joyous melodies of ‘Restoration’ he warns you “And the heart attack’s been sleeping in your bed” - it’s brilliantly written and at times, seriously unsettling.
The beauty in this album comes from their ability to balance detail without sacrificing simplicity. It’s a slow burner, but once it clicks, it really clicks.
Artists in this article: The Acorn
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