Yet another very good Scandinavian band
Tryavna | North Carolina | 08/09/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Like Kent, Mew, and Saybia, Eskobar is a very good indie pop/rock band from Scandinavia that deserves much wider appreciation. All the songs on this album (originally released 2001/02) are in English, so there's no language barrier to prevent Americans from listening to it. In fact, one of the songs ("Someone New," featuring the Bermudan singer-songwriter Heather Nova) got some airplay on MTV, so I'm surprised nobody's bothered to review any of Eskobar's albums on Amazon.
So far, Eskobar has released four albums, but I think that this one provides the best introduction to their music. Like the other Scandinavian bands I mentioned, Eskobar is heavily indebted to recent Brit-pop: lead singer Daniel Bellqvist emphasizes the fragility of his voice, there are a lot of electronic/ambient effects, and so forth. What distinguishes Eskobar is that they're also influenced by technopop, so most of their tracks are dance-oriented rather than shoe-gazing. I've never heard them live, so I'm not sure how the three members recreate all these effects live. Fortunately, this release includes five bonus tracks, all of which are acoustic and may give an inkling of what they're like live.
Besides "Someone New," which is a really lovely duet, my favorite tracks are "Move On," "On the Ground," and "Tell Me I'm Wrong" (though "Why London" and "Snowman" are also quite good). These songs achieve a well-balanced mixture of upbeat dance tempos, haunting lyrics, and minor-key melodies that make perfect listening for late-night dancing or driving.
If you want to explore the current Scandinavian music scene, then Eskobar is a key band you need to know. The import price Amazon is asking is a little high, but maybe you can pick it up through the Marketplace."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1