One eskimO

Wed, May 26 2010

Everyone once in a while, this little ol’ blog here provides me with some unique opportunities. No, I’m not some internet celebrity and Oprah isn’t talking about my blog but thanks to services like One2One, I get to do something cool–like review a CD.

Specifically speaking, I received a copy of One eskimO’s self titled album. Before this opportunity, I was not familiar with the group; although, you may have been because my reliable sources tell me that one of the tracks on the album–”Kandi”–was already a hit on adult rock stations well before I was listening to it on my CD player. They were on Ellen in March and toured last year with Tori Amos.

I inquired about this review because the group was compared to a couple other artists I like–namely, Massive Attack and Owl City. I wouldn’t say I am a die hard “indie rock” fan but I like unique, electronic-inspired pop and this four-man-band delivers that. I’ve listened to the CD a couple times through, now. I had to resist going straight to “Kandi,” the song which everyone already loves.

My general impression of One Eskimo is positive but not raving. The sound is rather low key, perfect for playing on the background or maybe on a car trip. There are definitely a few songs which I like better (“Givin Up” and “Chosen One”). Yet, most of the songs are so mellow that there’s not a lot of lead up. I guess I’m just a fan of pop “hooks” which pull you in, so I didn’t get into every song because of this lack. A lot of the music reminds me of mellow B-sides that other artists may have released; it’s almost more like supporting music than the main course.

The other thing I’ve noticed is that the mellow sounds are sometimes a bit depressing. It has a lot to do with my current situation, of course, but nothing on One eskimO’s album is fast and/or uplifting enough to cheer me up. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it, just that now it not the best time for me to enjoy it. The music invokes a lot of feeling; it almost paints scenes in my mind. Unfortunately, the low-key feel and lyrics don’t always paint bright scenes.

I do, however, enjoy the acoustic-electronic-jazzy-pop thing One eskimO has going on. I love jazz-influenced pop.

There’s no doubt that One eskimO is a talented group. I’m sure they’ll continue to see success. I think I just need to be in a more stable place in my life to enjoy them without sobbing.

You can check out One Eskimo for yourself on their MySpace page or official website.