Espers – Espers II (LP)

II is a perfectly balanced record, and its arrangements are so exact and delicate that it almost feels like one buzz of a doorbell or ring of a telephone could send the whole thing toppling over, splattering into useless bits. Somehow, Espers manage to expertly capture the menace so inherent to Celtic folksinging, harnessing the same rhythms and pieces of syntax that infiltrated the Appalachians in the early 18th century, and translate that threat into a distinctly American noise. And, like any good folk outfit, old or new, Espers are preoccupied with story: Here, the songs are long and the lyrics are difficult to discern, but there’s a hazy narrative in place that makes II extraordinarily difficult to listen to in pieces. There’s an end to this tale, and you’ll find yourself craving the closure.