Review: Nurses - Apple's Acre (* * * 1/2)

A few weeks ago I got all excited about up and coming psychedelic pop/folk band Nurses, who caught my attention with the first single, "Caterpillar Playground," from their now recently-released debut album. The tune exemplifies what's best about the Portland duo of Aaron Chapman and John Bowers, who use a variety of instruments and off-kilter production to create strangely charming pop songs, often channeling several musical influences into their tunes but keeping the music quite unique to the band. Their new LP, Apple's Acre, is the work of men with plenty of ambition and some great ideas, and though the results aren't completely consistent, there's enough here to warrant serious attention.

The band revealed one of their highlights by giving "Caterpillar Playground" an early release, but they easily match its quality several places throughout Apple's Acre. Opener "Technicolor" and the bluesy, messy "Lita" are especially excellent, with manic vocal harmony over clanging piano and simple, steady drum beats. Like many of the record's most enjoyable songs, the two tunes are best appreciated through headphones or in a quiet room when you can hear the subtle nuances the band throw in to their music - a dash of synth here, some 'kitchen sink' percussion there - a little bit of everything but never enough to distract from the melody. The music is certainly never boring, and by the end of the psych-folk closer "Orange Cymbals," the group haven't exactly worn out their welcome, but you get the feeling that keeping the record at a trim 35 minutes was an intelligent choice.

Psychedelia's resurgence into the indie scene has felt a little tired of late, but though Nurses probably fall into that category, they avoid retreading old ground with their fairly novel approach, generally forgoing heavy, hazy guitar riffs and spaced-out vocals for a sort of piano-pop-meets-classic folk sound. With the addition of plenty of twists and turns stuffed into the ten brief tracks and some engaging (and occasionally bizarre) melodies, Nurses make Apple's Acre a solid debut from which they will hopefully build a successful career.

Caterpillar Playground (MP3)

Nurses offer "Caterpillar Playground" from debut LP

I realize that I'm constantly making recommendations about great new bands but I sincerely endorse each one that gets featured on this site. Some, however, get me especially excited to share; Nurses is one of those bands. The experimental folk trio are getting ready to release their debut album, Apple's Acre, on Dead Oceans in August, but I've got some preview material here that has captured my attention quite completely and I highly recommend listening up right now.

Nurses make music that's hard to classify, especially from just hearing a few tracks, but they combine elements of folk, pop, and psychedelia into delightfully strange and especially intriguing packages. Below you can find a download of the single "Caterpillar Playground," which should give you a good idea of what you can expect from these three. It's a quirky tune with whistling, keys, and light percussion all arranged in a way that's got me hooked. You can also hear a couple other similarly great tracks on the group's MySpace page or check out an acoustic live performance of "Lita," which has a Yeasayer sort of vibe to it. Whatever you do, get this stuff into your system quickly.

Caterpillar Playground (MP3)

Lita (Live Video)

Nurses on MySpace

Apple's Acre will be released on August 4th, to be exact, and if you happen to be over on the West Coast this summer, there's a chance you could catch these guys live - tour dates follow:

06/06/09 Portland, OR @ Holocene w/ Talkdemonic, Explode Into Colors, Gulls
06/14/09 Olympia, WA @ The Northern w/ Prussia
06/16/09 Oakland, CA @ TBA w/ Prussia
06/17/09 Fresno, CA @ Audies Olympic/Club Fred w/ Prussia, Capillary Action
06/19/09 Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory w/ Prussia
06/20/09 San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe w/ Prussia