Spectreview: Nap Eyes – Snapshot of a Beginner

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If it feels at times like every indie band operating nowadays is competing to place in the Introspection Olympics, Nova Scotian four-piece Nap Eyes would be early contenders for the 2020 gold (well, technically 2021). Vocalist Nigel Chapman opens their fourth album – and first for Jagjaguwar – addressing himself directly, and then spends the rest of it in the midst of a internal deconstruction that cuts even deeper than what we’ve seen from the frontman. As a lyricist, Chapman’s greatest strength is his ability to bring poignancy and truth out of mundanity. Not a lot of people can turn the plot of Ocarina of Time into a meditation on latent identity (“Dark Link”) or write a song about how many songs he’s written about writing songs (lovely summarizing closer “Though I Wish I Could”). He’s so good at it, it makes his grander existential statements, like the Sagan-quoting “Primordial Soup” or the well-meaning Tweet repetition of “If You Were In Prison,” a little less effective by comparison. Even then, Chapman (and the band) successfully ride the line between sincerity and lightheartedness; at this point, they’re masters at it.

The geniality and soft-edged atmosphere common to their discography remains here, but it’s rendered in a higher fidelity. Brad Loughead’s guitar playing sounds better than ever, and his playing is just as confident (check out the guitar breaks in seven-minute epic “Real Thoughts” or the lead melody on the brilliantly obtuse “Mark Zuckerberg”). Chapman’s voice, an intoxicating cross between Lou Reed and a young Mark Kozelek, also jumps out of the mix with a newfound oomph similarly to James Mercer’s star-making turn in The Shins’ Chutes Too Narrow. Never underestimate how much a little reverb and compression can make the difference. It may lack the mid-fi charm of Nap Eyes’ earlier records, but the new production sheen provides a wealth of upgrades on the band’s sound. Vaporous touches background “When I Struck Out On My Own,” spacious drums propel the purposeful meandering of “Mystery Calling,” and gorgeous slide guitar lend the impressionistic “Fool Thinking Ways” a wizened clarity. Snapshot of a Beginner may dictate the difficulties of building oneself from the ground up, but the band behind the album executes its vision with the confidence of several practiced years.

Recommended for misty Sundays.