Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

Chilly Grooves
By
Michael C. Riedlinger
Editor-In-Chief

Opening for Tori Amos on her North American tour this summer, One EskimO is a band most Americans have likely never heard of. They hail from London, to be precise, and the lead singer, Kristian Leontiou, isn’t well known over here, and was little more than another random pop star back home. Still, here they come, and you may have already heard of them without even trying.

The band’s first single was used in a Toyota Prius advert a while back, and it’s really only a taste of what’s to come on their first album, All Balloons. They have a sound that is reminiscent of Snow Patrol or Sigur Rós. There’s a beat you can groove to, not unlike fellow Londoners Cold Play, and vocally, Leontiou is as skilled as a Jack Johnson or Jason Mraz. It is catchy stuff; instantly accessible, but deeply orchestrated and complex in its ability to produce aural nirvana.

That isn’t to say that the album is perfect. The first track, “Hometime”, starts with an out of place vintage film sample for example, and there isn’t anything one can call an anthem, but it’s still a pretty great collection of songs. There is something that feels heartfelt and untainted by mass production in this music, and the tracks “Chosen One” and “Kandi” are the types of songs that people hear once and save for a wedding playlist someday. On the other end of the emotional spectrum is the song “UFO”, which makes me want to listen to Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”. One lyric asks, “If I’m such a superhero/why does it feel like my feet can’t leave the ground”, and it has such a visceral pull to it, you can’t help but feel the despondency. It’s not unlike watching F. Murray Abraham’s Salieri realize he’ll never be the best in Amadeus. I tell you, to hear this live was like stumbling upon the Pied Piper of Hamelin and being caught in his trance. There is an electronic trance element to some of this album, not unlike early Portishead, but without the thundering bass lines.

Click image to visit the site
Image Copyright Smuggling Peanuts

Yes, the band uses electronic elements in their music, but they do so carefully, allowing it all to meld together as a seamless sound-scape. It doesn’t matter whether the sounds are coming from one of the four band members, or a digital counterpart, this music will lift you up and carry you away as if in a dream. It’s the kind of album you can put on in the background on a cold night as you curl up in front of a warm fire with your lover, and all without the saccharine content of today’s pop singers. The schmaltz that passes for romantic mood music these days is pretty pathetic, but One EskimO makes them sound like grade-schoolers passing notes.

This is one of those rare albums that will inspire you. Heck, this is the first album review I’ve written in months, and all because this album has more to offer than most of the music passing over my desk lately. There really isn’t a bad song on the whole CD, and I’m sure even the weakest song, “Chocolate”, is destined for use in a commercial or film sometime soon. When it hits stores on September 7, 2009, give One EskimO’s All Balloons a shot. If you’re a fan of Kings of Leon or Snow Patrol especially, you won’t be disappointed, and you’ll find something that evolves the award winning music those bands have created into a record that will touch your soul.

Final Verdict (out of 5):