While The Nest Itself are certainly not devoid of talent, this Melbourne instrumental five-piece seem to have missed the mark with their debut album (in)constant search.
The EP that preceded it was the recipient of considerable praise, particularly from radio host, producer, and manager Owen McKern (RRR, PBS), who tagged the leading track from this former production, “I Fell Asleep,” as the “song for summer.”
However, with (in)constant search the word ‘cacophony’ occasionally springs to mind, and while some of it seems to be pining for instrumental triumphs of Explosions In the Sky or VHS or Beta (notably ‘Night On Fire’), it is in a song like opener “On Rare Occasions,” that such noisy adjectives are recalled.
Not that there’s anything wrong with noise, you just need to know how to use it.
“Unfix” and “Only Temporary” are softer odes, and in their subtlety there is much appeal.
Closing track “5,4” has a mysterious, alluring element that after eight non-specific tracks seems to set a journeying element to the album, but it is unfortunately a case of too little, too late.
The lush cover artwork, provided by emerging local artist Estelle Joannou, is exquisite, and successfully captures and conveys the emotion present in the humbler songs.
The song titles too, elicit a delicacy and poeticism that not all of songs truly embody.
Unfortunately, it seems the album art far eclipses the songs within.
