Canada has given the world great things. Consider the impact of hockey, maple syrup, and even comedian Jim Carrey on lives of people everywhere. However, Canada’s latest offering fails to impress. The Acorn , hailing from
Ottawa, Ontario, probably needed to stay home rather than record their latest album, Glory Hope Mountain.
The band released their first EP, The Pink Ghosts, in 2004 and established themselves firmly in the Indie folk scene. However, time has only hindered their progress and stinted their growth. Glory Hope Mountain, their first studio album, lacks heart and leaves much to be desired.
The first half of Glory Hope Mountain stands as a sloppy, jumbled mess. The song structure feels awkward, the play list is poorly organized and lead singer Rolf Klausener?s voice is odd to say the least. However, the band?s biggest weakness lies in their extremely cryptic lyrics.
Poetic lyrics drive some songs and folk singers are known for their strange rhymes, but lines such as “Lift your head from wild and wicked sleep where seven-headed serpents hiss soliloquy” in ‘Flood Pt. 1’ set The Acorn apart – just not in a good way.
However, where the first five songs fail miserably, the final seven soar brilliantly. ‘Oh Napoleon’ and ‘Plateau Ramble’ both offer a slow, melodic mood and deep lyrics. ‘Antenna’ testifies to the power of finding a soul mate. ‘The Flood Pt. 2’ makes up for the disastrous part one with soft melody and perfect pace.
The last song, ‘Lullaby (Mountain)’, stands as the best piece on the album. Part of this is because keyboardist Keiko Devaux takes over the vocals. Her soft voice gives a welcome respite from Klausener’s eerie sound. The writing and music transcends the dull nature of the rest of the album.
Unfortunately though, these few offerings cannot save the rest of the dull album.
Nonsensical lyrics confuse listeners and draw attention away from the heart of the music. That, however, might be a good thing, considering the music makes as much sense as the lyrics at times. Only the most loyal of The Acorn fans should look into buying Glory Hope Mountain.
Glory Hope Mountain is available at most local music retailers for around $14. For buying information, visit Amazon online.
