Nap Eyes: Mystery Calling

By Kerry Doole

Nap Eyes - Mystery Calling (Royal Mountain Records). These East Coast rockers release a new album, Snapshot of a Beginner, on March 27th via Royal Mountain Records/Jagjaguwar, preceded by the third advance single/video, Mystery Calling.

Frontman Nigel Chapman elaborates on the track in a label press release: “This is another improvised-origin song. On one level it’s basically a description of my homebody ways, and it’s also about the way our mundane routines can seem to pull us away from what I’m referring to as ‘Mystery’ in the song– that is, away from the discovery and creation that seem to be more valuable and important activities in themselves, despite being deemed superficially ‘non-practical.’

"Now, this irritation and sense of being drawn away from what’s important is probably mostly illusory. This is because the cosmic mystery is probably accessible even in the midst of the most boring and stressful busywork. At the same time, as any good procrastinator should know, there is quite a lot of good that comes from letting the mind ignore apparently pressing worldly activities in order to let it roam, explore, discover and create.”

The dazzling video, directed by Antoine Lahaie, was inspired by films like Blade Runner and Under The Skin. “We don't know whether they've been there before, if they're stuck there and passing time, if they have a purpose or they're just chilling,” says Lahaie. “It was also important for me to keep it abstract and unresolved. Even though I like to be tongue in cheek I didn't want to fall into something comedic.”

The cut features shimmering psych meets twang guitars, while Chapman’s languid drawling vocals are always appealing. Plus it’s a treat to hear the word procrastinate in a song. You won't hear Nap Eyes' oft-quirky sound on commercial radio, but it has caught the ear of the critics and earned them a growing international audience as they attain cult hero status.

Snapshot of a Beginner has been termed the band's most concentrated and hi-fi effort to date. To record, Nap Eyes went to The National’s nuevo-legendary upstate NY Long Pond Studio, working with producers Jonathan Low (Big Red Machine, The National) and James Elkington (Steve Gunn, Joan Shelley).

Following their current North American dates in support of Destroyer, Nap Eyes will tour across Europe and North America. Dates here.

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PR: Hive Mind