The Sounds of (ESP) Summer


A big BIG thanks to Mr. Mark for introducing me to this album oh so long ago. ESP Summer was a one time studio project featuring Warren Defever of His Name Is Alive and Ian Master of the Pale Saints. Originally distributed in 1994 in very limited numbers on cassette, it eventually found it’s way on to CD in a slightly bigger, but still limited release.

The album’s complete lack of drums (there’s some tambourine percussion on "Sticky Sun") creates the illusion of sparseness throughout, but if you give it one listen on headphones it becomes apparent that there is a lot more going on, namely a lot of electronic noodling. The airy vocals and folksy experimental structures make it quite an interesting listen recalling everything from Stars to Sun Kill Moon to even Radiohead ("More Water," at least for me).

I had a hard time narrowing down the tracks I wanted to post, so I went ahead and posted the first 5, I figure this one is going to be hard to come by anyways.

Sticky Sun
Web of Dreams
Great Eye is Simple Eye
More Water
Golden Heart of the Year

Buy It!

Time Stereo

Bonus His Name Is Alive track (for Daniel Francis Doyle, who returns home today from his 6 week tour)

This World is Not My Home

-Popkoff