II

Jag gillar det här. Det är precis min typ av musik. La till hela plattan på Spotify.

II is the third album of the psychedelic folk band Espers. It is a dark kind of folk that is more subtle in its darkness than a band like Lankum. To quote the Pitchfork review: "intricate, vaguely menacing folk songs are smarter, sharper, and more relentlessly compelling than their trappings might suggest". For me personally it just sounds a bit too perfect and lovely and it misses some rawness and fragility. Still a good album though.

fuck yeah! I’m familiar with this, but it’s so nice giving it a relisten! I love this kinda prog-folk! - 10/10

Bjork, Goldfrapp, I kind of lost track of whatever came next in this sequence. But I think it's this! It softens Goldfrapp's electroclash hardness into something more folky and ethereal, but maintains electronic undercurrents. Loved it.

A sharper edge on the guitar playing than The Weed Tree, and thus losing some of that summer-day pastoral feeling, but still a great album.

It's a bit difficult to truly describe the feelings that album this album evoke accurately. I would start off with saying that it's awesomesauce. Absolutely bonkers. Cool beans. Amazeballs.

Psychedelic folk? Sign me up! This is super interesting. Such a relaxing but still trippy vibe. I definitely need to listen to them more!

I had never heard of Espers, but seeing this was a Drag City release raised my optimism significantly. This was an awesome record. Dark psychedelic folk music. It has a balladry and psych slow drip feel to it that just puts you in a great groove. Loved this.

Great modern take on Wyrd Folk. Beautiful album and very happy to find this here!

Was not expecting this to be so diabolical. Kind of reminds me of Popol Vuh in the Einsjäger und Siebenjäger or Letzte Tage - Letzte Nächte era in a way. Nicely done.

Man, this completely upstages any other ren faire-like folk album on the main list or user list, the long, intense build-ups remind me a lot of I Want You (She's So Heavy) by the Beatles and that's the best compliment.

Fucky forest music for goblins remains undefeated as the greatest music genre ever conceived.

It's time to get weird with it. Going into the new millennium, certain artists across the psychedelic and folk spectrum would seemingly embrace the old free-flowing approach to songwriting inspired by hippie culture of the '60s and '70s. This marked the revival of interest in the wyrd folk genre, which brought a hypnotic mysticism to the sound of psychedelic folk. Espers, here, represents the modern approach to that genre in the context of the New Weird America movement. Espers' third album (yes, this is their third) invokes sounds of an anxious colonial America, blending the atmosphere of Godspeed You! Black Emperor with the pastoral psychedelia of The Incredible String Band (remember them?). It is darkly enchanting and unsettling at times, but well-rounded instrumentally to make me want more of whatever they have on tap. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: I could see them finding a spot, given their lineage.

Espers’ II was my first exposure to the band, and going in I was skeptical. The idea of a neo-psychedelic folk trio didn’t exactly excite me. But within a few songs, it became clear this was far darker and heavier in atmosphere than I expected. The production is extremely thick, almost closer to metal than folk, and that really works here. Forget the “freak-folk” tag. This is Wyrd Folk in its truest sense. Not with a wink, but with high-tension shadows and ritualistic atmosphere. Despite their Philadelphia roots, Espers sound like they’ve emerged from a cellar in the English countryside, bringing with them a sense of dread that feels closer to Coil or This Mortal Coil than anything distinctly 21st century. The instrumentation plays a huge role in that feeling. The layered woodwinds and Greg Weeks’ cello create a lingering, gothic unease that feels genuinely unsettling. The modal, droning vocal performances from Meg Baird and company tie it all together, favoring an experience over a collection of individual songs. I’m currently sitting at around 4 stars for this one, but it feels like the kind of record that could grow with more time.

Really enjoyed this album. The harmonies were great, and the music fit perfectly 4/5

Very magical sounding

This is a cool indie atmospheric electro folk sort of record. Its cool off the start.

Proggy psychedelic music, of the "sacred altar in the haunted forest" variety

Espers take a page out of Fairport Convention's folk dirges, and infuse the latter with all sorts of spooky tones and moody psychedelic setpieces. Pretty good music with an excellent lead vocalist, yet I sometimes felt that the length of some tracks was not always warranted, especially during the first half of the record. But your mileage on that might depend on whether you think compositions moving at a glacial pace end up becoming fascinating, or, conversely, take a turn to the linear when they pile up this way. I'm a huge fan of Low, (lovely "Children Of Stone" is not so far from Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker's mark, to be fair), so I can get where people who love this act come from, and some moments in the second half of the record are indeed gorgeous. Yet I have to admit that overall, I prefer Fairport Convention's initial strand of folk music to this admittedly well-crafted reenactment. ---- 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ----- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 56 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 72 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 133 (including this one) --- Émile. Ça y est, j'ai *enfin* répondu (en deux temps). Tu trouveras ça sous les reviews des disques de Blackalicious et Alexisonfire au dessus.

I dug this though it made for a wierd and ominous workout session. I am there for New Wierd Americana neo-folk.

Very good

I listened to this at the beach with my son today, and loved it. I've saved this for a revisit.

very nice spooky-ish fall weather listening

This is really nice. 4 stars.

This was in a similarly folksy vein to yesterday’s LP (Auri’s S/T), but unlike that album exceeded my expectations of the genre. Thanks to Espers’ willingness to dig into electronic and heavier guitar tones, this feels like folk on steroids and at times played with crossing into noise which I enjoyed. Some tracks are perhaps a bit too long and could’ve used some editing, but this was a nice shakeup of what could’ve been another folksy slog.

Weird, unsettling, and darkly seductive.

Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Dead king

For whatever reason this just hit me perfectly. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it but I really did. I normally hate long songs but it just worked here. Great addition and something I wasn't expecting. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 5/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Yes.

I remember when genres like Freak Folk and New Weird America were all the rage. It's weird to think that that was about 20 years ago now but there we are. I've always kind of enjoyed these bands and their take on psychedelic music that feels more grounded but less optimistic than their 1960s forefathers. I'd never heard of Espers before but listening brought me back to that scene and the slightly uncomfortable, but intriguing feeling that music inspires.

This was interesting, I think I would enjoy listening to it again!

I didn’t know them at all but I really liked the album, made me think of Dead Can Dance a bit. Nice discovery

Pretty cool! One or two of the songs don't do much for me (particularly the penultimate one), but the rest very elegant and pretty. 7/10

January 6, 2026 HL: “Dead Queen”, “Dead King”, “Dead Jack” (kidding, not a real song), “Cruel Song” Straddles the line between witchy psych-folk and droning post-rock, both of which I have a personal weakness towards. So did I need to hear it? Kinda, yes. Dedicating “Dead King” to a special someone today, January the 6th.

Gothic folk, good stuff

Best Song: Widow's Reed. Loke a cacophonous and noisy outro. Worst Song: Dead Queen. I really dislike when an album starts with something so discordant, without giving you time to adjust to its feel. Overall: I wanted to like this more than I did. It's darkly atmospheric, but it's also at times a bit directionless. Good for a brooding background vibe, but not something that I feel wants to be listened to in the forefront.

Pretty folky, not really my thing but it’s fine

Ritmos reposados, tranquilos, algo de folk. Aires de música trascendental. Para escuchar en momentos de relax. Algo de innovador, pero al que le falta algo más de variedad.

it wasn't bad, just wasn't for me

I really liked this and it is something different.

Don't really like folk, but this isn't bad. Tranquil early morning listening at least. Mystical and whimsical.

pretty nice emellanåt va.

Some parts reminded me of Fairport Convention which is never a bad thing.

This is a fine album, but it’s just so forgettable. I recall thinking a coworker of mine might enjoy it. The production I remember being solid, but otherwise could not tell you anything else about it. I listened to this whole album today and can’t remember a lick of it. That’s just disappointing, honestly. 3/5

Very much a modern throwback to earlier 60s folk. I don't know if it's needed today, but this would work well in an incense shop. 3/5

I enjoyed that.

I feel like this album would have been more impactful if I wasn't at work and I was on "a different wavelength". It was interesting and not necessarily what I would prefer to listen to as I'm more of a psychedelic rock person, not so much a folk person. I can see why people would enjoy it and might give it another go at some point.

This sounds like Fairport Convention if they did a bunch of drugs, became pagan, and went to space. Favorite songs: Dead Queen, Moon Occults the Sun Least favorite songs: Dead King 3/5

Psych folk; decent but not essential

This was uh..something. Finished but. Hm

A real light touch. Feels like something you'd hear at the Renaissance Festival.

Boy I can’t wait for III

Pretty interesting, laid back album. Sort of wavered a bit on this there were a few four moments but mostly a three.

Wow that first track is a rip off of Taurus by Spirit.

II was good, not amazing, but a really interesting listen that was never bad but was pretty atmospheric and it never really came across as if it was intended for something else like a soundtrack like a lot of heavily instrumental stuff can. 3.

I don't want to compare to another song, but the beginning of it sounds like another song. And even at 8 mins... I'm sure someone knows. Maybe there's even a lady who knows. I didn't get enough of the lyrics to comment on any of the stories. Overall, not that much there for me.

A really curious acoustic mix... led zeppelin is most evident on the first track and the rest seems to range a bit further. More interesting than enjoyable and starts to drag as the tracks extend out past 8 minutes.

From the opening notes I thought I was going to love this. In the end I really didn't. By Dead King I was down from 4 stars first impression to 2 stars. So I guess fair to split difference.

Asspers.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz. I've never been so bored in my life.

For each user submission I will decide if I believe it was submitted to "correct the record" and deserves inclusion on the main list or if its more of a personal favorite or pet album of the user. This was this user's pet album, while not awful it didn't do much for me and I don't think it's list worthy.

Not interested 2

Not a top album

Folk, psychedelic folk, New Weird America. Muy rollo. Un 2.

Espers is categorized as psychedelic folk, and on "II" its sometimes folk-focused and at other times heavily psychedelic. It rarely felt like there was a good balance between the two.

Game of Thrones type music

Fascinating to me how much people enjoyed this. To me this was some sort of fairy fantasy music or could even have been an album for a video game. This album is proof that the user list is significant more unique than the regular list as this is such a unique niche sound of music. 3.0/10

Tried getting through two songs but felt like I was in a medieval theme park.

This kind of music is not for me and I would go as far a as to say people who like this kind of music are not for me either. It’s ok, I’m probably not for them either.