Being active for a number of years, Nest creates a distinctive and rather beautiful sound based on a mix of jazz, prog/post rock and contemporary classical influences. The Israeli trio’s sophomore release is Kites, launched in October this year, and it’s a collection of nine tunes, showcasing the group’s sparse and surprisingly delicate approach to composition.
The band is adept at building each tune gradually, layering sounds on top of each other with restraint and creating real tensions. Often this involves bassist Sarel Keren and drummer Omri Leibovich playing a repetitive, insistent rhythm over which Itai Meiri adds his guitar lines. His guitar, occasionally coupled with horns contributed by Arthur Krasnobaev, is used effectively to give additional color and dynamics to the music.
It’s a consistently successful approach. The tension created on pieces such as “Wildflower” and the title track becomes almost unbearable but still keeps the attention, while delicate “The Fog” builds almost imperceptibly around Itai’s fragile and controlled guitar solo. “Lurk” creates a sad, almost desolate, soundscape and contrasts effectively with the a bit more jolly and up-tempo opening to the following “Apex.”
There are a couple of exceptions to Nest‘s approach. “Phoenix” features Itai’s spacious guitar, supported by some subtle touches from Keren’s bass. The longest piece on Kites, “Structures,” begins typically, with Itai’s rolling guitar motif, before Leibovich emphasizes the 4/4 rhythm with a solid drum beat, which is soon echoed by the bass. Towards the middle, the tune takes on a much freer pattern, with an assertiveness to the sound that also breathes new life the tune’s mood.
The low-key, almost minimalist sound of Kites is refreshing—the sound of a band that knows how to hold back, and realize how effective such an approach can be. Nest has made an emphatic and impressive album.
Check it out on Bandcamp here. Follow Nest on Instagram.
The low-key, almost minimalist sound of Kites is refreshing—the sound of a band that knows how to hold back, and realize how effective such an approach can be. Nest has made an emphatic and impressive album.
