Syracuse singer-songwriter Nick Burger (Ahnest!) steps out of the spotlight of his primary musical project, Of Fortune & Fame, to deliver the latest three-song effort, A Year Spent In Parking Lots. The EP is the first body of work since the succession of previous ambitious conceptual efforts, Love/Death and [LVDTH2]. This year, Burger is still continuing to steer the ship (the vessel for his soundscape) to undisturbed waters.
Musically, it would be appropriate to deem A Year Spent In Parking Lots as the darkest output from Burger to date, where he revels, in a cathartic fever, that causes him to succumb to what is sealed within the imploding inner regions of his head. Listeners are narrated through Burger’s trials as they are forced to see through his view within "the cold remains of heart".
Throughout the EP, Burger prompts the stationary scene of "scattered parking lots" as an analogy of his alienation. The reluctant continuous chime of “High Tide/Low Light” is minimal, allowing the scope of Burger’s words to circumvent to each of the listener’s ears within the angular space.
“Wreck” follows the bleak tone of its predecessor during the first half behind a layer of dreamy keys, which juxtaposes the fiery words of "They reached up inside of my chest and ripped up my heart and discarded the rest...". Burger’s vocals share a resemblance to the neurotic strained flair of Weatherbox's Brian Warren and the snarling rasp of a righteous Max Bemis (Say Anything).
On the closer, “Throwing Punches At A Ghost”, a twinkly jazz influence is briefly present, again prompting a serene visual to listeners, which then leads off to the alternative rock stadium stomps to round off the EP.
Ahnest! Should be commended on the initiative of employing the minimal ambiance that is captivating on A Year Spent In Parking Lots, however there are times when the distinct novelty of the sound is not capitalized on and the vocal delivery on top of the instrumental lacks creativity and continues to hinder the sound altogether.
Tracklist:
1. High Tide/Low Light, Wreck, Throwing Punches At A Ghost
RIYL: Subtle moments of The Clearing by Weatherbox
Rating:
Written by Aaron Akeredolu
