For the past three weeks I've been afloat. Beguiled by a certain piece of music that cannot be ignored. It's hard to imagine, the pains of creating a piece of music that pulses with soul, enchantment and life without coming off as too indulgant. I don't sense those stresses in The Acorn's first full length album "Glory Hope Mountain". Rather, I envision the band members with closed, searching eyes and a slight grin as they let their music search them out and flow through their fingers in sweet, earthy acoustic rhythms. This Canadian indie folk group has perhaps succeeded in this album so overwhelmingly simply because they were in love with the concept and search for their subject's story. A focus that's hard to achieve, but can most definitely be found with inner peace and acceptance. Glory Hope Mountain is a concept album, telling the story of band member Rolf Klausener's Honduras-born mother, Gloria Esperanza Montoya (the title being a rough translation of her name).
The arrangements aren't needlessly complicated. Each track is constructed from the ground up with honeyed strings and exotic percussion, the real treat being Rolf Klausener's gentle and hopelessly magnetic narrative. If you're not on your toes at times, you'll find your mind wandering freely into a euphoric spell. As the album progresses we're offered some real surprises that plant beautiful little seeds in your subconscious. Slight electronic lines and melodies throughout, layered and delivered in such a way that suggests we're being welcomed into a nostalgic hope chest of Rolf's. Little compositions helping to convey that nameless feeling which encouraged this collection of music in the first place.
Find this album where you can and listen to it when nothing is to interrupt you and background noise is minimal. Nothing is to be taken from the first journey through, it's an experience that if appreciated with eyes closed and your mind at ease, you will feel the air beneath your feet.
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