Nervous Curtains

Out Of Sync With Time

Written by: PP on 17/02/2010 16:35:36

Guitar is an inseparable instrument from rock music, whether you're playing punk, metal, or indie. It's use is so common that it's easy to take its existence for granted on a given record, precisely what I did with "Out Of Sync With Time", the debut album by Nervous Curtains, the primary songwriting outlet for Sean Kirkpatrick (The Paper Chase, Spoon). I kinda just assumed that buzzing, low tone sound on the background is the consequence of some heavy usage of effects pedals, but then I discovered that it was actually the bass. Now before you go out of your way to blame me for not noticing that a guitar is missing entirely on the record, the truth is that there isn't a specific need for it on the record, and as such it's easy to go through the record multiple times without even giving a thought to what instruments are being used, simply because the record flows so well from start to finish thanks to the other instruments being so rich in detail.

So if no guitar's included, what sort of music are we dealing with? While there may not be a genre set-in-stone that you can lump Nervous Curtains in, they play spooky, mood-setting, piano-driven indie pop, which is quirky enough to appeal to the indie hipsters but rock enough to get a few rock/alternative/mainstream fans on board as well. The record's at times dramatic and grandiose, but elsewhere not afraid to be minimalistic, quiet, and simplistic. Both styles are equally effective, because of Kirkpatrick's sublime usage of classical piano to create varying atmospheres and feelings to the songs. On one hand, you have songs like "All Yesterday's Parties", which will (distantly) remind you of Franz Ferdinand's more experimental stuff, though it has the sound of a band ready and capable to break through to the indie mainstream, and on the opposite end, you have quiet, but still catchy tracks like "Indebted To The Cause". The latter style in particular draws parallels to bands like Say Anything, except it's quieter, and less 'rock' to put it bluntly.

There are a couple of other gems on the record, which all have one thing in common: Kirkpatrick's great vocals and good usage of classical piano. In between you have a few more anonymous tracks that don't really say much, but for what it's worth, there are enough of the former to make Nervous Curtains worth checking out for sure, that is, if you are into indie-tinged experimental pop at all. Otherwise, steer clear.

7

Download: All Yesterday's Parties, Indebted To The Cause, Jesus And Tequila
For the fans of: a quirky mixture of Franz Ferdinand and old Say Anything
Listen: Myspace

Release date 23.02.2010
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