An instrumental acoustic guitar tribute album to videogames that sounds almost nothing like a videogame soundtrack? Seems about right for a band as open-minded and creative as Might Could.
In 2015, the Chicago-based three-guitars-and-a-bass combo that’s drawn comparisons to the California Guitar Trio released The N.E.S.F.A.N. Trilogy, a compilation of sorts whose title refers to the Nintendo Entertainment System of which guitarists Aaron Geller and Andy Tillotson are big fans. The six melodic and playful songs here are culled from multiple sources.
The album features three songs written during he band’s days as Motherbrain!, which recorded covers of 8-bit Nintendo tunes. These re-recordings represent the odd-numbered tracks on the album and include the dramatic yet brief opener “Metroid Title” and the frisky four-minute “Castlevania Medley.” Both feature videogame sound effects that morph into songs that stand on their own even if you’ve never played the games they inspired.
But the record is built on three eight-minute-plus pieces (the even-numbered tracks) inspired by Motherbrain!’s music and written by Geller. Two of them appeared on previous Might Could albums. "Not Every Song Finds a Name" (which the band affectionately calls "NESFAN 1") first appeared on 2005’s All Intertwined and runs the gamut from simple to aggressive and complex -- just like a videogame. Its sequel, "Not Every Sequel Finds a Name" ("NESFAN 2"), was recorded for 2007’s Wood Knot and boasts musical and structural connections to “NESFAN 1” without losing its originality. Both songs here have been upgraded from their original versions, including a new acoustic bass track from Luis Nasser on the former.
Finally -- and fittingly -- Gellar wrote “Not Every Series Finds A Name” specifically for this collection. The epic 13-and-a-half-minute piece introduces percussion into the mix and brings the “N.E.S.F.A.N. Trilogy” to a lively and memorable close.
Track Listing:
1. Metroid Title
2. Not Every Song Finds a Name
3. Castlevania Medley
4. Not Every Sequel Finds a Name
5. Super Mario Bros. 2, Overworld Theme
6. Not Every Series Finds a Name
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