The Weed Tree

The second Espers album, The Weed Tree was released in 2005. Made almost entirely of cover material with the exception of a couple traditional folk songs - Rosemary Lane and Black Is the Color - paired with songs by Nico, Durutti Column and even Blue Öyster Cult (peep Flaming Telepaths above!), making for an oblique run through eclectic aspects of the past that succeeded due to Espers' thorough re-imagining of the material in their own image. The addition of current members Helena Espvall on cello and Otto Hauser on drums and percussion upped the alchemy of the band to its most potent, making music that drew from tradition, but making it new at the same time.