The Acorn : No Ghost

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/theacornnoghost.jpg" alt=" " />With <i>No Ghost</i>, The Acorn answer the post-great concept album question of, "What now?" ...
The Acorn : No Ghost
7.7 Paper Bag
2010 

The Acorn : No Ghost The one downfall of a great concept album is the undoubtedly the inescapable notion it leaves of "What now?"  What can one band possibly do to raise the bar higher after coming at you with such a well rounded sound – one not only busting with originality, ability and appeal, but also tied together in one wonderful, thought provoking package. 

Ottawa, Ontario folksters The Acorn raised these very questions in the minds of fans, following the conclusion of their last full-length album, 2007’s Glory Hope Mountain.  The sprawling collection of songs was based around the life of singer Rolf Klausener’s Honduran-born mother, and featured a rarely seen, yet critically acclaimed mixture of Latin American inspired folk with its contemporary indie counterpart.  Allmusic said that the record deserved to take its place among Broken Social Scene’s You Forgot In People and Arcade Fire’s Funeral, and the band has been on the road, touring to nearly every corner of the planet since.    

Trapped at that proverbial fork in the road, 2010’s No Ghost sees the band finally ready to answer the question that they’ve no doubt been mulling over for most of the last three years.  With a heavier sound and a lighter subject matter, Klausener and co kick the album off expectantly on "Cobbled From Dust".  Gone is most of the Latin American sound at the heart of their last album, although the band keeps just enough to maintain a vivid originality to their indie folk demeanour.  Also gone is the notion that electric guitar is just an accent to the predominantly acoustic songs of the past.  Instead, the increased role of electric guitar along with keys, as well as the accompanying distortion and experimentation make for a fortified, increasingly genuine feeling on tracks like "Crossed Wires" and "I Made The Law". 

These changes may define the band, but No Ghost is defined by what remains the same.  Klausener’s elegant singing and song writing, as well as the band’s all-around masterful instrumentation ensures one important rule: Whatever the style or pace of the song, it will almost always flourish, and while none of these tracks standout quite so much as GHM’s "Crooked Legs" or "Hold Your Breath", this latest album is seemingly tighter and perhaps even more well rounded than its predecessor.

In spite of this overall consistency, No Ghost even manages to take a prolific turn in its final moments.  The end of the title track sees a masterful build-up, which rushes into a beautiful memento of their acoustic past.  Thoughtful number "Almanac" then gently walks us to the albums finale, and "Kindling To Cremation" reveals a concept key to understanding the entire effort: With simple yet profound adaptation, The Acorn have answered "what now?" definitively – so definitively in fact, that the question may need to be asked all over again.

Categories
Album Reviews
  • Anonymous
    at
  • No Comment

    Leave a Reply

    Album of the Week