Acres and Acres

When you hear the name Acres and Acres, you can’t help but think of the vast landscapes that sprawl across this great country we call home. Thoughts drift to the open fields worked by the bloody, cracked hands of farmers and the kilometers of mountain rock blasted away by underpaid railway workers. It's part of who we are, but the Halifax duo turned those historical ingrained images into something remarkably tender, intimidate and personal.

Kris Pope and David Scholten set out to record a simple record, littered with friends and familiarity, and full of heart. Instead of overdubs and studio magic, they headed to a few trusted locations with a few trusted friends and simply played, hoping the honesty of the results would speak for themselves, and boy do they ever.

All Nations takes on the feel and history of the rooms they were recorded (especially the songs recorded in All Nations Church), but exude warmth you wouldn’t expect from the sterile settings. The autumn orange and yellows come to life when the duo and their friends fill in open space on the recordings with spontaneity, smiles and love. Hearing silver voiced songstress Rose Cousins and Don Brownrigg support the infectious opener From a Forest, Amelia Curran trade vocals with the duo over Ian Bent’s organ on Joker or the gospel choir, soul feel The Ukeladies add to All He Needs starts you swaying and Kris and David do their best to keep you moving on each and every track.

Kris and David were very inspired by Harvest, and while the sounds do often head in the same direction, for me the biggest similarity is the social focus of the songs. The duo attack obvious flaws in our society with a powerful simplicity that we can all relate to – the environment on the Van inspired Polar Bear Song, homophobia (can’t you just picture haggard old Neil saying, “You say my gay friends are going to hell cause that’s a sin, well maybe I should join ‘em if the devil’s so acceptin’”), cell phones, money and greed – but never push to the point of pontification. They balance each thought with a playful stomp or a gentle sway, and countless enjoyable melodies.

Acres and Acres is having their CD release show here in Halifax @ the super intimate The Music Room on October 3rd. Since the venue seats about 40 people, I'd suggest emailing the band (aaacres AT gmail DOT com) to book in advance.

http://www.herohill.com/2009/09/reviews-acres-and-acres-all-nations.htm - Bryan

Acres and acres and acres and acres and acres of land, that's what Canada is. Many, many, many thousand acres. Hectares. Mega hectares. But seriously, mostly acres. And so it's surprising that it took until 2009 for a band to call themselves Acres and Acres. Or, maybe it's not, but it makes for a semi-interesting lead. Right?

Anyway, for the uninitiated (and/or those tired of our tiring "sense of humour") Acres and Acres is Kris Pope and Dave Scholten, whose names you may know from their tenure in ECMA-nominated art rock band Down with the Butterfly. As the story goes, "inspired by the feel of Neil Young's Harvest album, and guided by an approach not unlike the Cowboy Junkies' Trinity Sessions, they headed into the studio and Acres and Acres was born."

The result of that studio time was All Nations, which will be released on September 29, 2009.

Of course, this isn't the (most) interesting part.

The most interesting part is that Acres and Acres are going to travel the acres and acres of our fine, gargantuan country via the Via, and play pretty much all the way across.

Huh?

Well, here's the deal. As of October 8, 2009, Acres and Acres, along with Jon McKiel and Klarka Weinwurm (easily among the five coolest names in Canadian music), are going to be going across Canada on a Via-Sponsored tour. The band and their mates will be playing in the train, and also at stops along the way. Whoever you are, you've gotta think that's neat.

http://www.hour.ca/music/music_news.aspx?iIDArticle=15743&rssIDArticle=2560 - Dave Jaffer

Posted by Craig Norris on Sept. 17, 2008

I'm re-reading the Neil Young bio, "Shakey". It's so interesting to hear about his mindset during the recording of his many albums. There's a brand new band on NMC that just listed this week - as a matter of fact, they've only had their name since May. They list Young's "Harvest" as an inspiration.

You've heard them before, though. They are 1/2 of Halifax's Down With The Butterfly. Now, Kris Pope and David Scholten are Acres and Acres, a stripped-down alternafolk duo.

I chose the track "The Money Song" because it seems really appropriate for what's been happening in the financial world these days. - Craig Norris

Life & Times : Acres and Acres
All Nations

Known as Acres and Acres, David Scholten and Kris Pope had some help from friends on their new album All Nations. Named after the church that most of the album was recorded in, All Nations is a great stripped-down folk album with a message.

The album comments on some of society's ills, everything from how we get our food to cellphones, but doesn't come across as too preachy, so you can just enjoy the music.

Scholten and Pope surrounded themselves with some East Coast favourites including Benn Ross, Rose Cousins, Amelia Curran, Don Brownrigg and the Ukeladies, and recorded a really great album.

I was surprised that this is their debut album as they come across as seasoned veterans on All Nations.

Some of the best music can come out of a gathering of talented friends and it appears Acres and Acres have accomplished this.

If you're a fan of folk music pick up All Nations.

Highlights include Appleseed, Joker and Don't Come Knockin'.

Published Tuesday October 20th, 2009
written by Adam Davis - Adam Davis

Acres and Acres are Kris Pope and Dave Scholten, taking a break from their art-Rock band Down with the Butterfly, and assisted by assorted friends

Although they quote Neil Young's 'Harvest' as an inspiration, this Canadian duo seem to have more of America or even Seals & Crofts about them in this accomplished offering of acoustic treats. Several cuts also evoke those other Canadians, Great Lakes Swimmers (particulalry their album Ongiara) in their stripped back simplicity, the beautiful 'Appleseed' being perhaps the best example of this, a keening love song finely decorated with Amelia Curran's vocals.

A number of the tracks are message songs - a prospect that could be quite tedious, but there's a lightness of touch that stops them from being preachy, coupled with great good humour that gets the points across quite gently. 'From A Forest' takes the open Canadian landscape from a then that was a forested wilderness through farming to a factory covered lead and asbestos contaminated now. How, it asks, did we go from purity to toxicity?

'Money' is probably the jolliest and uplifting song about the adverse macro-economic effects of micro-economic activity that you are likely to hear. Whilst, it notes, in the rich world we're enjoying the world's fruits and neglecting to acknowledge that "a kiwi is mostly petrol" - the developing world farmers are hoping for a good harvest "that could feed his starving children/'cos they really are starving".

The spirit of Graham Nash is being channelled on 'Cell Phone', an acerbic assessment of the false promise offered by the universality of communications devices, the internet, and other modern paraphernalia which allows us to be "never out of touch but you're always alone". And there is a touch of the same on 'Polar Bear' which eulogises that great beast from a not so distant future where it has become extinct - which could sit nicely alongside 'To The Last Whale' or 'Fallen Eagle'.

A nice twist on the expected is found on 'Don't Come Knocking', which at first sounds like a jaunty brush off to an ex-partner, but then reveals itself as a suggestion as to what religious door knockers peddling hate can do.

I wasn't completely won over by the Paul Simon-esque love song 'All He Needs', the gospel arrangement of the backing singers spoilt it for me, and the classic trap of writing a song about your pet and then recording it is fallen into on the last cut, 'Dirty Dog'.

But all things considered this is an excellent album which has grown in my estimation over several re-listenings.


Date review added: Sunday, October 18, 2009
Reviewer: Jonathan Aird
Reviewers Rating:
Related web link: Acres and Acres website

http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=4991 - Jonathan Aird

All Nations

Acres and Acres (Independent)

Nova Scotia singer/songwriters David Schoten and Kris Pope have teamed up with a bunch of musical friends to form All Nations, a predominately acoustic outfit that gives eloquent expression to the nine songs making up Acres and Acres.

The album brings to mind classic acoustic albums from the 1970s, most specifically Neil Young’s Harvest. However, it has a contemporary musical sensibility comparable to the Iowa-based, low-fi duo The Pines. Acres and Acres recalls an earlier time without surrendering to nostalgia.

Matt Epp
http://news.therecord.com/arts/NightLife/article/616423 - Matt Epp

Listening to All Nations, the debut album from Acres and Acres, it’s easy to picture yourself sitting on the back porch of a farm. And I’m not talking about one of those new, highly efficient farms with up-to-date technology. The Halifax roots duo brings you to one of those farms where the tractor is rusted, the hopes are slim and the neighbours are all inexplicably talented.

The album is really, at its core, a collection of stories sung over a background of guitars, harmonicas and even an organ. Over half the songs were recorded in an old church, which gives them a paradoxically full yet stripped-down sound. The album also swells with messages about everything from greed to homophobia, but this only enhances the listening experience rather than detracting from it.

All Nations is a simple and satisfying album, and Acres and Acres are poised to make a name for themselves in the Canadian roots scene.

Sara Elizabeth Taylor - Sara Elizabeth Taylor

Monday, November 2, 2009
HEROHILL / MUSIC NOVA SCOTIA ARTIST OF THE MONTH:: ACRES & ACRES

The release of the fantastic new record from Acres and Acres - All Nations (review) - has gone and come, sadly with little fanfare. Even with a coast to coast train tour, Kris Pope and David Scholten still fly under the radar in the city they call home. It's a shame, because the simple premise and recording style of All Nations resulted in a record that knocks you on your ass, but never hits you with a weight that is too much to handle.

Hopefully, the little bump a band gets from being dubbed the herohill / music nova scotia artist of the month will help them sell a few records and get some more bodies in the bars when they play (like they do this weekend in Yarmouth as part of Music Nova Scotia week). All Nations is one of the most honest, engaging roots records to come out of our province this year and one that should be getting much more love.

As a special treat, the band recorded some songs on their journey. The echoes of a Winnipeg train station really work for the band as they play a brand new song - You Never Know - and shows how when you take everything else away, their harmonies and melodies are what grab hold of you like a vice. - Herohill, Bryan Acker

- HeroHill - #8 Favourites-'09 Local Release: http://www.herohill.com/2009/12/favorites-09-local-releases-10-6.htm

- TheFerociousCoast - #4 East Coast Release, Fall 2009: http://theferociouscoast.wordpress.com/category/features/

- NXEW - The New Spin - Top Underground Canadiana of 2009: http://www.nxew.ca/2009/12/new-spins-top-underground-canadiana-of.html

- Fridge Buzz - #25, 2009 in Music Albums: http://jbriggins.blogspot.com/2009/12/2009-in-music-albums-21-25.html
- Various