“Sometimes I think we make nerd music for nerds.”
Nap Eyes have just played ‘I See Phantoms of Hatred and of the Heart’s Fullness and of the Coming Emptiness’ – its title and words having been taken from a poem by the great Irish poet W. B. Yeats – when the band’s vocalist, Nigel Chapman, makes this suggestion. Realising how his words could easily be misinterpreted, he quickly points out that nobody in the crowd would fit that description, but despite this reassurance, you are still left wondering if he might just have a point.
On their latest album, The Neon Gate, Nap Eyes not only take inspiration from Yeats but also from the Russian poet and playwright Alexander Pushkin. As they also draw upon 13th-century castles, video games, nature, and the struggles of leading a life in a post-modern world as lyrical reference points, it is little wonder that Chapman’s supposition may have some merit.
There is certainly an awkwardness about Nigel Chapman that merely adds to Nap Eyes’ collective charm, but as this powerful set gathers momentum, any thoughts about their music being confined to the land of the cerebral, the geek, or the dork are quickly dispelled. There is an unquestionable muscularity about them, and the addition of an extra guitarist/keys to the original quartet certainly adds a further dimension to their sound.
Things really start to pick up pace when they go right back to the beginning with ‘Dark Creedence,’ the very first track on their debut album Whine of the Mystic, which was released 10 years ago. It acts as a springboard for all that follows. ‘I’m Bad’ from the 2018 album I’m Bad Now is electric. And the closing song, ‘Dark Mystery Enigma Bird’, is a fitting climax. It is a transportive moment that gives lie to the lazy, generic “indie rock” label that is often used to describe Nap Eyes’ music.
Encouraged back for an encore – despite the Hyde Park Book Club house music having already signalled the end of the night – Nap Eyes raise the bar even higher by again returning to Whine of the Mystic, this time for the aptly entitled ‘No Fear of Hellfire’ where Brad Loughead squeezes some infernal fire and brimstone from his lead guitar.
Principal support on the night comes from the Leeds-based Nature Kids, who have already carved out quite a name for themselves both locally and, as their reputation grows, further afield. Some three years into their recording and performing life, the five-piece band have just released their self-titled debut album. As their creative confidence grows, they further pop’s evolution by adding violin bow, saw, and melodica to their sound as they continue to bend their songs into a series of different melodic shapes.
Photos: Simon Godley
More photos of Nap Eyes and Nature Kids at Hyde Park Book Club
