From The Big Takeover
Reviewed by Jack Rabid
May, 2008

herd of mers
AURORA CAUGHT NAPING
(IT'S TWILIGHT TIME)

Here's a new tentacle of Providence, RI artist/music collective It's Twilight Time whose principals delve into off-the-beaten-path music. Here mainstay John Orsi is in supporting role, rattling drums in percussive mode more than keeping beats behind his missus Karen Orsi, who croons and plays clipped dirty guitar and bass. Originally known as Midge in 1995, the duo play more minimalist pop than either ITT or the pair's past work together with more atmospheric dreampoppers Overflower (or John's instrumental Incandescent Sky). There are no gothic touches, just Karen scraping at her guitar forming little pattern chords and singing a bit like a more tuneful Kim Gordon doing Karen Carpenter. Everything seems cold and softly lit, slightly nerve-wracking in its quietude--it's a steadily pernicious quiet that can get under your skin over eight cuts. It's highly organic, artistic, unusual, and strangely beckoning. (overflower.com)

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From Comfort Comes
Reviewed by John Siwicki
May, 2008

"Aurora Caught Napping" is the debut record by Providence duo Karen and John Orsi. "Aurora Caught Napping" is a strong lo-fi record that is also very rhythmic. The record is eight tracks of avant pop movements that really do not follow any traditional rules we are used to. The record starts off with an array of guitar noises on “Dirty Shows.” Karen sings very much like PJ Harvey at times with that quiet and throaty vocal. “Fold” is a track that sounds very minimal at first but there is a lot going on here. The song features a shaker mallet and some really big sounding drums. The title track follows and it does have a few similar tones as the previous song did so I thought at first this was still “Fold.” “Keep” is the only track on the album that has any type of conventional approach to it. Typically, you only get a track or two not following the conventional approach. It is cool to hear an album that does not feel the need to fit its style into a box. The band sounds like they are just make a record the way they wanted to. “Auroa Caught Napping” will be a tough listen for some but this record has a lot of fascinating moments and surprises at every track.

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From The Providence Phoenix
Reviewed by Bob Gulla
April 30, 2008

Herd of Mers
John Orsi (Overflower) has been creating noisy, wandering, evocative, often beautiful music for a long time. Karen Orsi, his significant other and collaborator, takes control of the material here for the first time on her band Herd of Mers’ debut, Aurora Caught Napping (It’s Twilight Time, at overflower.com), and she exhibits even more delicacy and restraint, though with slightly more conventionality. There’s air and space between most of her notes — all of which are supplied by the duet on guitar and drums. Karen’s voice lingers sweetly and most meaningfully on quieter tunes like “Single Hour” and “Midge.” It reverberates more fully on “Walls,” which has a psychedelic, post Velvet Underground feel. Aurora Caught Napping is a searching work, with lots of solid ideas. For me, the prettier moments work best.

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From Music Emissions
Reviewed by Mike Wood
April 18, 2008

Debut record by Providence duo Karen and John Orsi. Driven equally by the power of Karen's angular guitar and impressionist lyrics, and John's percussion work, "Aurora Caught Napping" is a lo-fi, occasionally post-punk but always grounded in rhythmic structures that guide you through the outbursts. The title track, especially, as well as "Dirty Shoes" feature brittle guitar lines that threaten to erupt and overshadow the softly chanted words, but remain just enough at bay for tension's sake. "Karen Orsi's stripped down yet evocative playing on "Walls" recalls the rude harmonics of "Cold Turkey" era Lennon, though much more controlled.

The guitar/percussion interplay keeps that line straddled between chaos and brooding that make this a satisfying record. John Orsi' tribal grooves keep equal pace on "Fold," and take over at surprising moments on "Midge."

Herd of Mers is one duo not trying to sound bigger or into drawing attention to themselves for being a cool duo. But they are. They create and disturb space with equal intensity, often leaving the listener wondering whether to lean in closer to hear what's up or to take a wise step back. Either way, Aurora Caught Napping" may make you dreamy, but you'll sleep with one eye open for sure.

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From Improvijazzation Nation
Reviewed by Rotcod Zzaj
April 2008

Herd of Mers - AURORA CAUGHT NAPPING: Our friends from www.overflower.com (as in John & Karen (Riendeau) Orsi, who have been submitting stuff to us for a long, long time now) definitely "changed the mood up" on us... after 3 or 4 jazz wonders in a row, this is a pleasant diversion into rockin' psychedelia, to be sure. The percussion on the title track opens with the same kinda' fugue you might hear/feel when YOU were being awakened; a haunting piece, no doubt. The way they blend the excellent drums into the guitar/vocals on "Fold", my favorite track, somehow brings to mind visions of hobbits & goblins dancin' 'round the pillars of StoneHenge... may not be what they intended, but that's what I see/hear... excellent little tune. There's a hypnotic quality (as with some of John's earlier CD's) that runs all through the music, & Karen & John clearly enjoy doing their (highly talented) vocals together. Jazzheads may not find this their cup o' tea, but for those who like to rock ev'ry once in a moon's passage, this is THE ticket... gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from these ol' ears! Get more information at the web site above! Much FUN! Rotcod Zzaj

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