The Acorns have long been focused on honing their sound to a unique degree, and this two-track EP stands as a strong testament to that effort. Log Cabin Lite introduces the approach in a quickly characterful way, which isn’t that easy a thing to do in a world where thousands of new tracks emerge every single day. What they offer is this surprisingly raw, fairly vintage soundscape, which brings together elements of organic indie-rock or funk, and those of a more retro-electronic aura, with a refreshingly original leading vocal part that pours lyrical observations through in a new and compelling way.
From the offset, Log Cabin Lite presents a deep and dark ambiance – a reverb-soaked, distant drum-line adds a layer of realness, the heavy drone of a thick chord progression walks by its side, all of which builds a fairly haunting but still mellow mood. In stark contrast with this is the vocal delivery that follows. The flow is insane, the speed and the accuracy, and not just this – there’s a story-line here, there’s so much detail, and there are even numerous flickers of a sort of mildly theatrical performance style – as hip hop used to be; a performance, not merely a reading of lyrics.
The Acorns bring everything you want from impressive rap into this track, and as the intensity rises, the leading voice and the soundscape evolve and flourish in unison. The pace picks up, the groove draws you further and further in, and though it takes a good three or four listens to truly catch every single line and idea – you can quickly lose yourself in the energy and rhythm of the moment. In any case, at just under three minutes long, it’s not hard to commit to a replay – on the contrary, an easy pleasure.
Krush is a totally different type of track, though that leading voice has a familiarity now – the character or personality runs deep. Musically this track has a smooth and mellow feel to it, the instrumentation seems cut from the same cloth, but the vibe is lighter and more easy going. As a result, the leading artists appropriately follow suit, keeping the journey on a certain level to lay out a more peaceful and laid back piece of writing and performance.
The ideas are no less descriptive and interesting, the theme is a little more relatable, so in fact – these songs together showcase two very different sides to The Acorns’ abilities and musical preferences. The beats and the ideas vary, but the central sound is undoubtedly theirs. You’d most likely recognise the tone and vibe of The Acorns in any setting after experiencing even just this short project.
Fans of classic hip hop will be drawn to this but not in the traditional or predictable sense. The inspiration is clear, but the final product is unlike anything else you’re likely to have stumbled upon. They do their thing, and they do it with a good balance of creative drive and professionalism. Worth a listen and I look forwards to hearing more.
The Acorns bring together the skills of MC Mad Squirrel and DJ BlakeNine. Find & follow them on Twitter & Instagram.
