The Acorn, Mercury Lounge, New York

At The Acorn’s show in NYC, it is clear that the band’s influences have changed. Within thirty seconds of their first song it becomes apparent that the young band have moved further along the catalogue from the eighties world-inflected tones of the Talking Heads, to a stronger 90’s rock sound. Example A: lead Acorn Rolf Klausener’s typically David Byrne-ian vocals are slightly undercut by a more straightforward use of his pipes.

During their second song, the band loosen up a little and let some of their more buoyant impulses reign. The inherent tumble and propulsive picking of ‘Crooked Legs’, from their debut ‘Glory Hope Mountain’, immediately outshines their newer material.

By the third song, The Acorn have struck a balance between their original folk influences and their new interest in the rock and roll of their adolescence. Unforeseen experiments in effects-pedals and e-bow song introductions help bridge the gap between their influences.

Such tonal explorations are well suited to the band. By utilizing pedals and processors Klausener and co. are able to balance their more rhythmically adventurous leanings and their urge to reach for a traditionally “bigger” and “louder” sound.

On their second LP, ‘No Ghost’, this balance is executed with grace and playfulness, yet there is still something amiss at their live show. Whereas the band used to go big in terms of emotion and song craft, their live act seems to search for largess in a dirtier rockier sound. A sound frequently mined by other acts.

The Acorn’s strengths lie in their ability to craft songs that are recognizable but slightly unusual. In the show closer and crowd favorite, ‘The Flood, Pt. 1,’ they manage to start a song with chants, let it collapse like Akron/Family, and introduce one of the catchiest guitar lines ever licked in under four and a half minutes. Pleasingly, the song’s core floats across these different movements instead of being dragged down into a morass of thrown together techniques. With songs like this in their catalogue, The Acorn are poised for great success if they can restrain their rockier impulses.