There is a school of thought, not entirely unsupported I've noticed, that there are far too many bearded young acoustic musicians around the place just now. As a bearded, not-so-young failed musician, I'm pretty careful how far I agree with this sentiment. But while there certainly are a lot of singer-songwriters plying their trade just now who probably aren't going to break the mould, there are some truly talented individuals among them who deserve to be heard. One such musician is Esperi, a name applied to the largely solo efforts of Chris Lee-Marr. Chris is likely one of the hardest working musicians in Scotland too, playing virtually non-stop in any venue he can find - often with equally remarkable compatriots such as RM Hubbert - and apparently just as happy to turn up and play in your living room if it means he's getting heard. As reported here, I caught his live show in Glasgow last year, and was instantly snared by his mix of thoughtful acoustic songs and more expansive, experimental efforts. This EP puts this endless live work in context by collecting virtually all of Esperi's recorded output to date in a neat package alongside a couple of newer pieces.
From the very first notes of the record it's clear that Esperi isn't just going to be content to sling a few chords together and whine about how bad things are. Each of these songs is a miniature and considered epic - consciously designed, carefully crafted and given just the right amount of embellishment to shine. "Dialled" has a winding, almost jazz-influenced rhythm section which twists and turns through the song while light touches of the drums are barely audible under the delicate acoustic guitar playing. Chris' voice is clear, soft and engaging - delivering the sometimes homely and often surreal lyrics in a warm, Scottish burr. It's a simple enough tune but it's far from fragile, as it builds towards an epic finale - a swift change of timing and the gentle patter of drums gains a little force to support a huge swell of keyboards. As a Christmas single last year, Esperi released a brace of winter themed tracks in an absurdly limited and rather fantastic knitted cover. The first of these, "Made for Life" echoes Esperi live shows by introducing a range of other instruments including his trademark coloured plastic handbells. It includes one of those wonderful but all too rare heart-swelling moments too, when a sudden spiral of strings rise from the simple, quiet guitar backdrop and transport the song. But there is nothing over-egged or pompous here - it all fits into the warm, human world of Esperi's lyrics comfortably. This is likely my favourite song ever about knitwear - with apologies of course to Aidan Knight - and certainly the best song mentioning armpits currently in my collection. The companion piece is "Snowman" - a remarkably simple acoustic guitar tune, made truly wonderful mostly by the vocals, including a quiet but effective supporting voice from wife Cat too. It's a tiny, sad lament for an impassive and ultimately melting snowman - but manages to avoid being twee or silly by having a genuinely affecting air and a tune which just won't shift from your head.
An Esperi live performance has to be seen to be believed - but "Takkat" is possibly the closest you're likely to get on record, as all kinds of toy instruments, loops, gentle beats and disconnected voice samples float in and out of a soundscape which is constructed around an organ drone and tinkling bells. If it sounds busy and complicated on record, it's even more bewildering to watch in person as Chris dashes from instrument to instrument, programming and reprogramming as he moves around the stage, burrowing into his bag to seek all manner of odd things to make music with. "Takkat" is oddly addictive, complicated and clever - but threatens to be eclipsed by the EP's awe-inspiring closing track "My Tear Dissolved The View". When this appeared as a video earlier in the year it garnered all kinds of unexpected attention for Esperi. Taking it's cues from post-rock but far from sticking to the formula, a simple and glacially slow melody underscores all kinds of shuffling, competing shattered sounds. An almost imperceptible guitar line hides at the back, keeping everything together as the piece shimmers and twists around itself. As Chris and Cat's disembodied and unstable voices appear, so the tune starts to disappear slowly into silence. This is wonderful, genuinely moving music which is full character and impact despite - indeed perhaps because - it doesn't feature any recognisable vocal.
This EP is far from just being a collection of pre-released and now hard to find gems - it's a little beacon of light in dark times. An honest, positive record which makes huge statements about hard work and craftsmanship - and which manages to be sometimes heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking too. Esperi's music might appear simple on the surface, the attention to the tiniest details of the sounds he is creating reveal an uncompromising creativity. While this might seem too, like a record in two parts with the more experimental pieces grouped together, it genuinely does seem to form a coherent collection despite the sonic and chronological distance between the songs. This is a perfect soundtrack for the languid end-of-summer humidity, which will last long into the winter. And wherever you are, Esperi is almost certainly going to be playing near you pretty soon!
Olive Grove Records release "The EP" on 4th August as a download, CD or as a limited edition felt-covered CD. Esperi appears next at The Lexington, London on 2nd August.
Esperi - Made For Life
Lost::MikeGTN
I've had a home on the web for more years than I care to remember, and a few kind souls persuade me it's worth persisting with keeping it updated. This current incarnation of the site is centred around the blog posts which began back in 1999 as 'the daylog' and continued through my travels and tribulations during the following years.
I don't get out and about nearly as much these days, but I do try to record significant events and trips for posterity. You may also have arrived here by following the trail to my former music blog Songs Heard On Fast Trains. That content is preserved here too.
