Nurses - Apple's Acre

Every now and then I stumble upon an album and quickly forget how I got there. That's what happened with 'Apple's Acre' by Nurses. Spotify has eliminated any sort of breadcrumb trail as to how I arrived at the album, but somehow I keep finding my way back. It's sparse and strange, a little repetitive at times, but overall it's been intriguing enough to keep me returning to its little cloud on spotify.

Yet another band to claim Portland, Oregon as their home, Nurses have recorded a psych-pop paranoid dream that lulls you one minute and has you looking over your shoulder the next - like you've been dropped into a midnight maze in a creepy kid's horror film. Musically it's a little Grizzly Bear, lashings of Animal Collective and a hint of Menomena - all mixed with moments of a nasally Crosby, Stills and Nash.

And it's that nasally vocal from Aaron Chapman that may be the challenge. A voice that could give Billy Corgan or Perry Farrell a run for his money is a voice that is surely going to grate on some sensitive ears. But stick with it and I think you'll find a pretty damn good record.

The album never really "explodes", but instead flies between intense claustrophobia and delirious relief. Sounds dip in and out through the songs but in some ways the album feels a little "unfinished" because of the lack of climax and refrained middle ground it occupies for much of the record. But the sparse instrumentation lends to an intimate atmosphere that heightens the albums freakish feel. Check it out!

And to make it even easier for you lovely people, we've got two tracks from the album right here for free. To download them, just right click and 'save target as'. Let us know what you think!

Technicolour

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